Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Dr. Lacey B. Sell

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

I am a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Manzoor Bhat at UT San Antonio Health Science Center, studying a rare congenital disorder caused by mutations in CNTNAP1 gene. These mutations lead to severe hypomyelination, neurodegeneration, motor impairment, respiratory dysfunction, and early mortality, yet no therapies currently exist. Using patient-specific transgenic mouse models, I have published first-author studies on three distinct CNTNAP1 mutations and demonstrated that restoring wild-type CNTNAP1 robustly rescues core disease phenotypes. Building on this foundation, my current work focuses on translational therapies, including AAV-based gene therapies using next-generation hybrid capsids with strong CNS and PNS targeting and low immunogenicity. In parallel, I investigate complementary approaches such as gut–brain axis modulation, drawing on my prior training in microbiome-driven neuroinflammation. My long-term goal is to bridge basic neuroscience and clinical application to develop effective pediatric therapies for devastating neurogenetic diseases.

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2018 - Bachelors of Science - Eastern Washington University
    • 2020 - Masters of Science - Eastern Washington University
    • 2025 - PhD Integrated Biomedical Sciences, Neuroscience - University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio

    Honors

    • 2025-2026 - NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship T32 Grant: Pathology of Occlusive Vascular Disease
  • Research
    • Hypomyelinating and neurodevelopmental disorders
    • Axon–glia interactions and mechanisms of impaired nerve conduction
    • Translational gene therapy for pediatric neurological diseases
    • Neuroimmune and gut–brain axis contributions to disease progression
  • Publications

    1. Lacey B. Sell, Derek Garcia, Alexandra Hollá, Ilana Chilton, Seth DeVries, Manuel Lubián-Gutiérrez, Ana María Gómez-Moreno, Qian Shi, Manzoor Bhat (2025). “Human CNTNAP1 Variants Associated with Severe Neurological Deficits: Additional Cases and Literature Review”. Muscle & Nerve (2026)

    2. Lacey B. Sell, Carson Zabel, Sabine Grønborg, Qian Shi, Manzoor Bhat (2025). “A Novel Mutation in CNTNAP1 gene causes Disorganization of Axonal Domains, Hypomyelination and Severe Neurological Deficits”. J. Neurosci. Res. 103.4 (2025): e70040 

    3. Cheng Chang*, Lacey B. Sell*, Qian Shi, Manzoor Bhat. (2023). “Mouse models of human CNTNAP1-associated congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy and genetic restoration of murine neurological deficits”. Cell Reports. 2023 Oct 31;42(10):113274. *co-first author

    4. Lacey B. Sell, Qian Shi, Manzoor Bhat. (2023). “Isolation and Processing of Mouse Sciatic Nerve Fibers for Confocal Immunohistochemistry”. STAR Protoc. 25;5(1):102852.  doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2024.102852.

    5. Lacey B. Sell, Christina C. Ramelow, Hannah M. Kohl. Kristina Hoffman, Jasleen K. Bains, William J. Doyle, … & Javier Ochoa-Repáraz. (2021). “Farnesol induces protection against murine CNS inflammatory demyelination and modifies gut microbiome”. Clinical Immunology, 108766

    6. Lacey B. Sell, & Javier Ochoa-Repáraz (2019). “Diet, Gut Microbiome and Multiple Sclerosis.” In A. Martinez (Ed.), Emerging Drugs and Targets for Multiple Sclerosis (pp. 302-318). Royal Society of Chemistry.