Dom J. Acri

PhD Candidate in Medical Neuroscience

Indiana University School of Medicine

‘No one searches without a plan.’-Santiago Ramon y Cajal (Advice for a Young Investigator, 1897)

Dom Acri was born and raised in Harrisburg, PA. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelors in neuroscience & behavior, Dom decided he wanted to explore the worlds of big data and medical research. By combining fundamental research in animals, genomic data, and next generation molecular tools, he spends his days (and sometimes nights) researching Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. Dom plans to pursue a career in academia, with a focus on genetic risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases.

Dom is a descendent of the Sicangu Lakota (Rosebud Sioux Tribe) and mixed European ancestry. He is an active member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) and the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS).

Interests

Neurodegeneration
Genetics
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Education

PhD in Medical Neuroscience, 2019 - Present
Indiana University School of Medicine
BSc in Neuroscience & Behavior, 2014 - 2018
University of Notre Dame

See me in Phoenix at AISES 2021

Research Presentation: Sept 23rd, 2021 2PM MST

AISES 2021 agenda

Connect virtually at SACNAS 2021

Research Presentation: Oct 28th, 2021 time TBD

SACNAS 2021 site

Most Recent Preprint

protein Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping

Philtjens & Acri, et al., _preprint_

Academic Experiences

Research, Service, + Internships

PhD Student

Indiana University School of Medicine: Jungsu Kim Laboratory

Aug 2018 – Present Indianapolis, IN

Dom is currently working towards his PhD in Medical Neuroscience in Indianapolis. His research interests surround using genetic screening approaches to investigate modifiers of tau-aggregate driven neurodegeneration. He serves as a board member of IUSM’s chapter of the Society for Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) and is a member of the American Indian Science and Engineering Society’s ‘Lighting the Pathway to Faculty Careers for Natives in STEM.’

Student Intern

University of Notre Dame: Multicultural Student Programs and Services

Aug 2015 – May 2018 South Bend, IN

While at the University of Notre Dame, Dom worked part-time for the Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS). As an intern for 6 semesters, Dom worked as an intern for the office for 10 hours per week. His responsibilities included working the reception desk, helping organize student activities, and maintaining connections with several Notre Dame Alumni Groups (Black Alumni, Native American Alumni, AAPI Alumni, Hispanic Alumni). Dom also helped facilitate events for the Building Bridges Mentorship Program, an initiative of MSPS aimed at serving underrepresented students wanting to get involved in undergraduate research. His time at MSPS was his first experience with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) work and inspired him to want to be a role model for other Indigenous students pursuing careers in academia.

Tutor & Teaching Assistant

University of Notre Dame: Writing Center

Aug 2015 – May 2018 South Bend, IN

While at the University of Notre Dame, Dom worked part-time for the University Writing Center in several roles. As a tutor at the Writing Center for 6 semesters, Dom saw undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty over approximately 8-10 45-minute sessions per week. During his final two years at the Writing Center, Dom specialized in tutoring for the Academic Services for Student-Athletes and serving as a teaching assistant for the required first-year (Freshman) ‘Writing & Rhetoric’ seminar class. He became certified to teach English as a Second Language (TESOL) and presented a new workflow for addressing language barriers at Writing Centers at the National Conference on Peer Tutoring in Writing (NCPTW) in 2016.

Research Assistant

University of Notre Dame: Giles Duffield Laboratory

Aug 2014 – May 2018 South Bend, IN

Previously, Dom graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience & Behavior. His work in the laboratory of Giles Duffield and in collaboration with the University’s Environmental Research Centers (Upper Peninsula, MI & Nation Bison Range, MT) investigated the physiological factors that effect rhythmic behaviors. Studying circadian and seasonal rhythms in Anopheles gambiae and Peromyscus maniculatus allowed him to gain an appreciation for how genetics and environmental effects can drive behaviors that ultimately affect human health.

Duffield, Acri, et al., 2019

Sheppard...Acri.,et al., 2017

Oliviera Bezerra ... Acri, et al., 2020

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