Katie was a graduate student in the Neuroscience Graduate Group (NGG). She received a B.S. in neuroscience and a minor in chemistry from University of Pittsburgh in 2018. She conducted research in Dr. Christopher Donnelly’s lab, studying nuclear transport and protein aggregation in C9orf72 ALS using molecular and cellular models. She is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. In 2020, Katie was accorded an Honorable Mention from the National Science Foundation. In 2022, Katie won the Penn Prize for Teaching Excellence by Graduate Students! In 2022, Katie was also awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)! Katie also won the Kathryn M. Ferguson Prize for best biochemistry poster at the B&B/BMB Retreat in 2022. Katie defended her Ph.D. thesis 'Developing RNA therapeutics for TDP-43 proteinopathy in ALS/FTD' in March 2025. In 2025, Katie won the Saul Winegrad Award for best dissertation by a NGG student.

Publications

Copley, K.E., J.C. Mauna, H. Danielson, M. Ngo, L. Xie, A. Smirnov, M. Davis, L. Mayne, M. Linsenmeier, J.D. Rubien, B. Portz, B.L. Lee, H.M. Odeh, M. Hallegger, J. Ule, P. Pasinelli, Y. Poon, N.L. Fawzi, B.E. Black, C.J. Donnelly, B.K. Jensen, and J. Shorter. Short RNA chaperones promote aggregation-resistant TDP-43 conformers to mitigate neurodegeneration. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2024.12.14.628507. pdf file link

Sweeney, K.M., S. Chantarawong, E.M. Barbieri, G. Cajka, M. Liu, L. Spruce, H. Fazelinia, B. Portz, K. Copley, T. Lapidot, L. Duhamel, P. Greenwald, N. Saida, R. Shalgi, J. Shorter, and O. Shalem. (2024). CRISPR screen for protein inclusion formation uncovers a role for SRRD in the regulation of intermediate filament dynamics and aggresome assembly. PLoS Genet. 20(2):e1011138. pdf file link

Guo, L.*^, J.R. Mann*, J.C. Mauna°, K.E. Copley°, H. Wang°, J.D. Rubien°, H.M. Odeh, J. Lin, B.L. Lee, L. Ganser, E. Robinson, K.M. Kim, A.C. Murthy, T. Paul, B. Portz, A.M. Gleixner, Z. Diaz, J.L. Carey, A. Smirnov, G. Padilla, E. Lavorando, C. Espy, Y. Shang, E.J. Huang, A. Chesi, N.L. Fawzi, S. Myong, C.J. Donnelly^, and J. Shorter^. (2023). Defining RNA oligonucleotides that reverse deleterious phase transitions of RNA-binding proteins with prion-like domains. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/2023.09.04.555754. pdf file link (*Co-first author. °Co-second author. ^Co-corresponding author).

Ervilha Pereira, P., N. Schuermans, A. Meylemans, P. LeBlanc, L. Versluys, K.E. Copley, J.D. Rubien, C. Altheimer, M. Peetermans, E. Debackere, O. Vanakker, S. Janssens, J. Baets, K. Verhoeven, M. Lammens, S. Symoens, B. De Paepe, S.J. Barmada, J. Shorter, J.L. De Bleecker, E. Bogaert, and B. Dermaut. (2023). C-terminal frameshift variant of TDP-43 with pronounced aggregation-propensity causes rimmed vacuole myopathy but not ALS/FTD. Acta Neuropathol.145(6):793-814. pdf file link

Copley, K.E., and J. Shorter. (2023). Repetitive elements in aging and neurodegeneration. Trends Genet. 39(5):381-400. pdf file link

Shen, H., A. Yanas, M.C. Owens, C. Zhang, C. Fritsch, C.M. Fare, K.E. Copley, J. Shorter, Y.E. Goldman, and K.F. Liu. (2022). Sexually dimorphic RNA helicases DDX3X and DDX3Y differentially regulate RNA metabolism through phase separation. Mol. Cell. 82(14):2588-2603.e9. pdf file link

Gleixner A.M., B.M. Verdone, C.G. Otte, E.N. Anderson, N. Ramesh, O.R. Shapiro, J.R. Gale, J.D. Mauna, J.R. Mann, K.E. Copley, E.L. Daley, J.A. Ortega, M.E. Cicardi, E. Kiskinis, J. Kofler, U.B. Pandey, D. Trotti, and C.J. Donnelly. (2022). Nup62 localizes to ALS/FTLD pathological assemblies and contribues to TDP-43 insolubility. Nat. Comm. 13(1):3380. pdf file link

Copley, K.E., and J. Shorter. (2022). Flying under the radar: TMEM106B(120-254) fibrils break out in diverse neurodegenerative disorders. Cell. 185(8):1290-1292. pdf file link

Hallegger, M.*, A.M. Chakrabarti*, F.C.Y. Lee*, B.L. Lee, A.G. Amalietti, H.M. Odeh, K.E. Copley, J.D. Rubien, B. Portz, K. Kuret, I. Huppertz, F. Rau, R. Patani, N.L. Fawzi, J. Shorter, N.M. Luscombe, and J. Ule. (2021). TDP-43 condensation properties specify its RNA-binding and regulatory repertoire. Cell. 184(18):4680-4696.e22. pdf file link (*Co-first author).

Mann, J.R., A.M. Gleixner, J.C. Mauna, E. Gomes, M.R. DeChellis-Marks, P.G. Needham, K.E. Copley, B. Hurtle, B. Portz, N.J. Pyles, L. Guo, C.B. Calder, Z.P. Wills, U.B. Pandey, J.K. Kofler, J.L. Brodsky, A. Thathiah, J. Shorter, and C.J. Donnelly. (2019). RNA binding antagonizes neurotoxic phase transitions of TDP-43. Neuron. 102(2):321-338. pdf file link