B.Sc. Biochemistry, University of Sussex
Ph.D. Clinical Neuroscience, University of Southampton

My current research seeks to define the role of the endocannabinoid system in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. I am focused on three key areas: endocannabinoid signaling, the inflammatory response, and the integrity of the blood-brain barrier. My interest in this area began during graduate school where I explored the role of the blood-brain barrier in Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Following a 5-year tenure as a professional editor at Nature Portfolio, I returned to hands-on research in 2021, where I investigated cannabis as a treatment for chronic pain through RCTs. This work deepened my interest in clinical research and the connection between the endocannabinoid system and neurodegenerative diseases. By integrating cutting-edge translational techniques with interdisciplinary clinical research, my goal is to identify novel therapeutic targets that pave the way for innovative treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. 

Morris, A. W., Carare, R. O., Schreiber, S., & Hawkes, C. A. (2014). The Cerebrovascular Basement Membrane: Role in the Clearance of beta-amyloid and Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 6, 251. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2014.00251

Morris, A. W., Sharp, M. M., Albargothy, N. J., Fernandes, R., Hawkes, C. A., Verma, A., Weller, R. O., & Carare, R. O. (2016). Vascular basement membranes as pathways for the passage of fluid into and out of the brain. Acta Neuropathologica, 131(5), 725-736. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-016-1555-z

Bakker, E. N., Bacskai, B. J., Arbel-Ornath, M., Aldea, R., Bedussi, B., Morris, A. W., Weller, R. O., & Carare, R. O. (2016). Lymphatic Clearance of the Brain: Perivascular, Paravascular and Significance for Neurodegenerative Diseases. Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, 36(2), 181-194. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10571-015-0273-8

Diem, A. K., Tan, M., Bressloff, N. W., Hawkes, C., Morris, A. W., Weller, R. O., & Carare, R. O. (2016). A Simulation Model of Periarterial Clearance of Amyloid-beta from the Brain. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 8, 18. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2016.00018

Held, F., Morris, A. W. J., Pirici, D., Niklass, S., Sharp, M. M. G., Garz, C., Assmann, A., Heinze, H. J., Schreiber, F., Carare, R. O., & Schreiber, S. (2017). Vascular basement membrane alterations and beta-amyloid accumulations in an animal model of cerebral small vessel disease. Clin Sci (Lond), 131(10), 1001-1013. https://doi.org/10.1042/CS20170004

Koster, K. P., Thomas, R., Morris, A. W. J., & Tai, L. M. (2016). Epidermal growth factor prevents oligomeric amyloid-beta induced angiogenesis deficits in vitro. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 36(11), 1865-1871. https://doi.org/10.1177/0271678X16669956

Tai, L. M., Thomas, R., Marottoli, F. M., Koster, K. P., Kanekiyo, T., Morris, A. W., & Bu, G. (2016). The role of APOE in cerebrovascular dysfunction. Acta Neuropathologica, 131(5), 709-723. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00401-016-1547-z

Thomas, R., Morris, A. W. J., & Tai, L. M. (2017). Epidermal growth factor prevents APOE4-induced cognitive and cerebrovascular deficits in female mice. Heliyon, 3(6), e00319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2017.e00319

Thomas, R., Zuchowska, P., Morris, A. W., Marottoli, F. M., Sunny, S., Deaton, R., Gann, P. H., & Tai, L. M. (2016). Epidermal growth factor prevents APOE4 and amyloid-beta-induced cognitive and cerebrovascular deficits in female mice. Acta Neuropathol Commun, 4(1), 111. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40478-016-0387-3 

PSYC 4054 – Behavioral Neuroscience
PSYC 3832 – Neural Basis of Learning
PSYC 3265 – Drugs, Brain and Behavior
PSYC 2220 – Biological Basis of Behavior