Malu Gamez Tansey, Ph.D.

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Get to know Neuroscientist Dr. Malú Gámez Tansey, who conducts neurological research in Gainesville, Florida.

Dr. Tansey, an esteemed American physiologist and neuroscientist, holds several significant roles, including having served as the Director of the Center for Translational Research in Neurodegenerative Disease at the University of Florida. She is also recognized as an Evelyn F. and William L. McKnight Brain Investigator and an Investigator at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases.

As the principal investigator of the Tansey Lab, Dr. Tansey guides a research program centered around investigating the role of neuroimmune interactions in the development and progression of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease. Her work is primarily focused on exploring the cellular and molecular basis of peripheral and central inflammation in the pathology of age-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. 

The Tansey Lab’s endeavors are concentrated on comprehending the intricate role of inflammation and immune system responses in brain health and the development of diseases. Dr. Tansey’s overarching objective is to contribute to the advancement of therapies that can effectively prevent or delay the onset of age-related neurodegenerative diseases. Through her multifaceted roles and groundbreaking basic and translational research, she remains at the forefront of efforts to enhance the understanding of these complex conditions and pave the way for improved therapeutic interventions in the clinic.

Born in El Paso, Texas, Dr. Tansey attended Loretto Academy high school and obtained her B.S/M.S in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. After graduating in 1985, she pursued her graduate studies in Physiology and Cell Cycle Regulation at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Under the mentorship of James T. Stull, she explored the role of myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) phosphorylation in the regulation of smooth muscle contraction.

Following the completion of her graduate studies in 1992, Dr. Tansey moved to Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, where she worked under the mentorship of Eugene M. Johnson in the Department of Molecular Pharmacology.

After completing her postdoctoral work, she then moved to California to work in industry for a few years as the group leader of Chemical Genetics at Xencor Inc. in Monrovia. She co-invented novel soluble TNF inhibitors that have now advanced to clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease. 

In 2009, Dr. Tansey moved to Emory University as tenured Professor of Physiology where she established the Center for Neurodysfunction and Inflammation. As a Hispanic American, she has served as a role model to numerous undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate trainees, many of them women from underrepresented minority groups. She served as co-director of Emory’s Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD). Their mission is to strengthen institutional efforts to enhance recruitment and retention of diverse student and faculty bodies at Emory, by providing research training and mentoring opportunities to both. Dr. Tansey is a fierce advocate for women and other under-represented groups in STEM and has earned several mentoring awards from students and faculty for her efforts in this area.

In 2019, Tansey was recruited to the University of Florida, where she continues to work to this day. In addition to her leadership roles at UF, she is on the Board of Directors for the World Parkinson’s Coalition, the Scientific Advisory Board for the Parkinson Foundation, and the Medical and Scientific Advisory Group for the Alzheimer’s Association. 

In her spare time, Dr. Tansey enjoys talking to patient and research-advocacy groups, cooking, sailing, and scuba-diving.

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