Erzsebet M. Szatmari, Ph.D.

Research

Our current research focuses on the role of small GTPase signaling in neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). We employ advanced imaging, transcriptome profiling, cell biology, biochemistry, and behavioral techniques, in conjunction with mouse models of AD, to identify genetic and molecular factors associated with neuroresiliency to AD.

One line of research in the lab focuses on the small GTPase, Rab 10, as chronic reduction in the level and activity of this protein lowers the risk of AD even in individuals that carry the ApoE epsilon allele. Using AD model mice (J20 and 5xFAD) on Rab10 +/- background, we aim to identify the signaling pathways that underly Rab10-dependent resilience to AD.

A second project in the lab focuses on the role of ADAP1 (Centaurin alpha-1) in neurodegenerative disorders. Our studies demonstrated that ADAP1/CentA1 is a negative regulator of learning and memory and that reduction in its level protects against neurodegeneration in a mouse model of AD. In collaboration with Dr. Alessandro Didonna lab (Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Brody School of Medicine) we also demonstrated the involvement of ADAP1/CentA1 in the neuroinflammation associated with multiple sclerosis.

The third project focuses on the development of reversible molecular optogenetic tools to study neurodegeneration-associated cellular responses. Since joining East Carolina University in 2018, our lab has had a strong interdisciplinary collaboration with Dr. Robert Hughes lab (Department of Chemistry), that created and validated several molecular optogenetic tools for studying neuronal cytoskeletal and membrane dynamics under cellular stress conditions.

Dr. Szatmari is passionate about training the next generation of neuroscientists and building a strong neuroscience community at ECU. Graduate and undergraduate trainees in the lab have received several travel and research awards and have gone on to either medical school or postdoctoral training.

Selected Publications

Szatmari EM,** Moran C, Cohen SJ, Bashtovyy D, Jacob A, Bunner W, Phipps M, Lora JC, Stackman RW, Yasuda R.** Lack of ADAP1/Centaurin-α1 Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment and Neuropathological Hallmarks in a Mouse Model of Alzheimer’s Disease. eNeuro. 2025 Nov;12(11) PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12658313. (**corresponding author)

Wang J, Nishiyama J, Parra-Bueno P, Okaz E, Oz G, Liu X, Watabe T, Suponitsky-Kroyter I, McGraw TE, Szatmari EM, Yasuda R. Rab10 inactivation promotes AMPAR trafficking and spine enlargement during long-term potentiation. Elife. 2025 Sep 23;13 PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12456950.

Surabhi K*, Mann N*, Sharp J, Phipps M, Becton M, Hill J, Roberts D, Szatmari EM**, Hughes RM**. Identification of actin mutants with neurodegenerative disease-like phenotypes via mutagenesis of the actin-ATP interface. Front Cell Neurosci. 2025;19:1543199. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12174402. (*equal contribution; **corresponding author)

Carver JJ, Bunner WP, Denbrock RR, Yin C, Huang W, Szatmari EM**, Didonna A**. Loss of ADAP1/CentA1 Protects Against Autoimmune Demyelination. FASEB J. 2025 May 15;39(9):e70604. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC12054340. (**corresponding author)

Bunner W*, Wang J*, Cohen S, Bashtovyy D, Perry R, Shookster D, Landry T, Harris EM, Stackman R, Tran TD, Yasuda R, Szatmari EM. Behavioral and Transcriptome Profiling of Heterozygous Rab10 Knock-Out Mice. eNeuro. 2023 May;10(5) PubMed Central PMCID: PMC10208283. (*equal contribution)

Wurz AI, Bunner WP, Szatmari EM, Hughes RM. CRY-BARs: Versatile light-gated molecular tools for the remodeling of membrane architectures. J Biol Chem. 2022 Oct;298(10):102388. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC9530617.

Szatmari EM**, Moran C, Cohen S, Jacob A, Parra-Bueno P, Kamasawa N, Guerrero-Given D, Klein M, Stackman R Jr, Yasuda R**. ADAP1/Centaurin-α1 Negatively Regulates Dendritic Spine Function and Memory Formation in the Hippocampus. eNeuro. 2021 Jan-Feb;8(1) PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7808333.( **corresponding author)

Bunner WP*, Salem FB*, Prabhu VV, Kuyateh AB, O’Bryant CT, Murashov AK, Szatmari EM**, Hughes RM**. CofActor: A light and stress-gated optogenetic clustering tool to study disease-associated cytoskeletal dynamics in living cells. J Biol Chem. 2020 Aug 7;295(32):11231-11245. PubMed Central PMCID: PMC7415995. (*equal contribution; **corresponding author)