Future Star finalist: Kelsey Loupy
This year’s stars for the Future Star Award have been narrowed down to three outstanding finalists. Kelsey Loupy is a leading scientist at SomaLogic (CO, USA), utilizing proteomics to discover novel biomarkers and predict clinical disease.
Read more about Kelsey’s career and her aims for the future.
Please tell us about your research career and outreach initiatives to date.
My journey began in my undergraduate studies in biology at California Polytechnic State University (CA, USA), where I joined one of the few research labs available on campus to study neuroplasticity in reptiles. After getting a taste of life in research, I went on to complete my master’s degree and PhD researching neurodegenerative diseases and psychiatric disorders in rodents. For my dissertation, I investigated novel therapeutics targeting the microbiome gut–brain axis to prevent and treat cognitive decline and stress-induced behaviors.
Currently, I work for a proteomics technology and clinical diagnostics company, SomaLogic, utilizing the power of proteomics to discover novel biomarkers and predict clinical disease. I am excited to lead the neuroscience campaign, using the SomaScan assay to develop in vitro diagnostic tests for neurological disorders. In my spare time, I am building out the research arm of a psychiatry training institute, which seeks to educate clinicians and therapists in holistic methods for approaching mental health treatment, to study the effectiveness of the training program in practice.
For the last 6 years, I have also been leading outreach initiatives teaching neuroscience and social-emotional learning to kids grades 3–12. In graduate school, I organized public outreach events for the University of Colorado’s Brain Awareness Week (CO, USA). I designed neuroscience education materials for a variety of age groups, and I led mental health and wellness workshops for a number of public outreach programs. As an example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I wrote and recorded a course module discussing the neuroscience of stress and stress management for TEDxMileHigh that was subsequently distributed to local middle schools for online learning.
My expertise is frequently sought out by counselors at major universities, local schoolteachers and writers seeking a professional opinion. It was my pleasure to edit multiple chapters of a recently published book that cited work from my research. My most recent project, developing a premarital therapy course, tackles subjects that are newer for me: the neuroscience of attachment, conflict and mindfulness in relationships.
What made you choose a career in your field?
I have always loved the mystery of the human brain – the complexity of psychology, of neurological diseases and how the body interacts with the mind.
During my most impressionable years as a teenager, I watched my grandfather’s decline with Alzheimer’s, and it motivated me to learn what mechanisms cause such a disease. In high school, I had the opportunity to intern with the NASA Education and Public Outreach group at Sonoma State University (CA, USA). I fell in love with the research environment, especially the curiosity of those around me and the idea of pursuing the unknown. As we took telescope images of black holes in other galaxies, I felt that the vastness and complexity of space was not unlike the undiscovered human brain. And when it came time to apply to colleges, I knew that I wanted to study neuroscience rather than physics.
I came to learn that brain function is intimately tied to physiology and that the mind might be cured by working with the body in a holistic way. After completing my PhD, it was a natural progression for me to pursue a career in precision medicine, utilizing proteomics to diagnose and treat disease.
What is the most difficult challenge you have encountered in your work and how did you overcome it?
Historically, a single drug target is the gold standard for disease research and treatment. What about when the symptoms are not clearly defined by a single biomarker or cause, which is the case for so many physiological and psychological disorders?
The mechanisms of action for successful therapeutics are often cross-functional, including immune, nervous system and cardiometabolic pathways. Thus, the investigation of novel and existing treatments and their corresponding mechanisms should be multidisciplinary. In graduate school, I was faced with the challenge of researching the causes and solutions for a variety of mental health disorders. I decided to tackle this challenge by casting a wide net of possible pathways rather than homing in on a single mechanism (that might only contribute a small part to the overall disturbance), studying animal behavior, immune function, gut microbiome composition, neuronal gene expression patterns, blood- and cerebrospinal fluid-based proteomics, metabolomics and lipidomics.
Now I am working at a company specializing in proteomics technology, which allows us to simultaneously measure thousands of proteins in the human body and look for trends and patterns that might lead us to protein interactions contributing to disease. Proteins are the targets for more than 90% of drugs today. Looking at the issue of neurodegenerative disease through the lens of unbiased proteomics gives me a powerful piece of my toolbox in unlocking a potential cure.
I think that more research needs to be conducted at a systems level, understanding how changing one system might affect other systems, and that this type of research should be awarded for understanding that complexity is a feature of life that cannot always be distilled to simplicity.
Which publication of yours best highlights your career?
This paper [1] was central to my doctoral dissertation and my philosophies on human health. It demonstrates ground-breaking preclinical work for two novel therapeutics targeting the microbiome gut–brain axis to prevent and treat stress and trauma-related psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. This study investigated metabolic, lipid and immune pathways at the intersection of the body and the brain, understanding that there is not one single pathway contributing to the state of mental and behavioral health.
Where do you hope to see yourself and your research in 5 years?
In 5 years, I hope to have made a substantial impact on human healthcare. I believe in treating the whole person and not just their symptoms. I am currently working simultaneously for a precision medicine company and an integrative psychiatry clinic in hopes to revolutionize medical and psychiatric care. In 5 years, I hope to lead a research team, connect with policymakers and continue public outreach to elevate preventative health and wellness for mind, body and spirit.
Why do you feel you deserve this award?
I am an investigator, teacher, problem solver and thought leader. I value curiosity, innovation and compassion. I get excited about taking on challenges that inspire me and questioning the status quo to push the boundaries of what is possible.
Though I feel all young scientists should be acknowledged for their efforts and contributions, awards for exceptional contributions are motivational accomplishments that validate my hard work to date. I feel lucky to have found a profession and industry where my talents and dedication are making an impact.
During graduate school, I led initiatives to discover novel therapeutics that promote mental wellbeing and enhance cognitive function in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Regional Veterans Affairs Medical Center (CO, USA) and funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. Department of the Navy (CA, USA). My research has informed combat veteran care, social work and has shed light on the larger evolutionary theories surrounding mental, cognitive and behavioral health. By researching the effects of a soil-derived microbe on stress resilience, sleep regulation, physiological allostasis and serotonin systems, my work brings to light the importance of human connection with the natural environment and spending time outside. This research has also been foundational for the development of a small start-up company seeking to bring these therapeutics to a clinical setting.
My work has since progressed into a clinical setting where I can see the impacts of my research more directly. I am changing the way primary care is conducted. At SomaLogic, I am building artificial intelligence-driven, proteomic-based diagnostic tools that are specific to disease progression. These tests are sensitive to change over time and can uniquely capture individual differences in current-state disease risk based on a multitude of factors contributing to protein expression, including genetics and lifestyle. I am interested in leveraging this technology to develop tests that will aid in personalized lifestyle interventions and treatment prescribing for neurological and psychiatric disorders. I believe that incorporating precision medicine into the health system will encourage patient autonomy and engagement.
