Open gallery
Dr. Laurie B Cook, PHD
(She/Her/Hers)
- Professor
-
(585) 395-5757
lcook@brockport.edu
Office: Lennon Hall 227
Office Hours:Spring 2026 Office Hours will be Mondays and Fridays 11:15am-12:30pm and Wednesdays 4:30-6pm. These are walk-ins only, in-person in 227 Lennon Hall.
To make an appointment at an alternative time or to schedule a virtual appointment, email lcook@brockport.edu to schedule.
Recipient of the Chancellor's Award for- Faculty Service
Bio
Dr. Cook earned her PhD in Pharmacology and Physiology from the University of Rochester Medical Center under the mentorship of Dr. Patricia M. Hinkle. After a short Postdoc at Cornell University in Molecular Biology & Genetics, she joined the SUNY Brockport Faculty in 2005. In addition to teaching several required and elective courses to our majors, Dr Cook serves as Director of the Pre-professional Health Program. She is an active researcher and scholar and has previously held external research grants from both the NSF and NIH totaling over $750K.
Education
Graduate Certificate · Higher Education Administration · Stonybrook University State University of New York, Online Program 2016
Ph.D. · Pharmacology & Physiology · University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 2004
M.S. · Pharmacology & Physiology · University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, New York 2001
B.S. · Biochemistry & Molecular Biology · The University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, New York 1998
Courses Taught
Current courses: General Biology I w/lab (BIO201), Biological Chemistry Lecture (BIO310) and Lab (BIO311), Cancer Biology (BIO475/575), Advanced Cell Biology (BIO407/507), General Endocrinology (BIO466.566), Intro Honors Research (BIO290), Honors Research (BIO493), Honors Thesis (BIO497), Health Professions Shadowing (PPH300), Pre-professional Health Seminar (PPH400)
Research Interests
Using cell culture models of obesity, we hope to gain a foundational understanding of how adipocytes are triggered to expand and differentiate during adipose tissue development. We are particularly interested in the role that an appetite-stimulating hormone called MCH plays in these decisions, as well as in the recruitment of immune cells like macrophages to adipose tissue, where they can contribute to an inflammatory state. Ongoing student projects include the following:
- Drew Johnston ~ Effects of Adipocyte Secretions on Biofilm Development
- Jerome Martindale ~ Connecting Inhibition of Appetite Regulation Pathways with Sleep Disturbances
External Grant Funding
2025-2028 - Collaborative Research: EPIIC: Supporting Partnerships for Advancement, Research, and Knowledge (SPARK) - NSF Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships - Grant Number 2519894 - $373,360 - Major Goal: 1) improve how we support research and community partnerships by identifying and fixing areas where policies or processes are lacking or are not helpful; 2) provide professional development and incentives for faculty and staff to expand their involvement in use-inspired research and institutional capacity building; 3) build stronger relationships with local industries and innovation ecosystems with the help of dedicated liaisons or individuals adept at building relational assets to function as catalysts of this effort; and 4) create a center or hub designed to sustain the efforts achieved by the cohort even after the cohort ceases to exist.
2025-2028 - NIH R15 AREA: A spatial and temporal analysis of MCH signaling in the developing adipocyte· NIH/NIGMS · Principal Investigator · Grant Number 1R15GM157665-01 · $442,397 · Major Goal: Define MCH-mediated signals controlling expansion and differentiation of adipose tissue and explore MCH-mediated pathways derived from the adipocyte that contribute to overall tissue homeostasis.
2015-2019 - RUI: Adaptation of MCH receptor function during differentiation of adipocytes · The National Science Foundation · Principal Investigator · Grant Number 1515737 · $404,344 ·Major Goal: To determine the role of primary cilia in the regulation of MCHR1 signaling in differentiating 3T3-L1 adipocytes.
2016-2017 - RUI: Adaptation of MCH receptor function during differentiation of adipocytes · The National Science Foundation · Principal Investigator · Grant Number 1515737 · $4,000 ·Major Goal: Summer Graduate Student Stipend
2010-2014 - NIH R15 AREA: An Investigation into the Molecular Mechanisms of Melanin-concentrating Hormone Receptor Desensitization · NIH/NIGMS · Principal Investigator · Grant Number 1R15GM090163 · $211,783· Major Goal: To determine the roles of caveolae, beta-arrestin recruitment and receptor degradation to the regulation of MCH signaling.
2010-2011 - NIH R15 AREA: An Investigation into the Molecular Mechanisms of Melanin-concentrating Hormone Receptor Desensitization - Supplement · NIH/NIGMS · Principal Investigator ·Grant Number 1R15GM090163 · $36,132 · Major Goal: To fund the purchase of a fluorescence plate reader to facilitate the aims associated with 1R15GM090163-01.
Professional Memberships
- National Association of Health Professions Advisors
- The American Society for Cell Biology