About
Dr. Sophie Sokolow is an Associate Professor at the UCLA School of Nursing with a multidisciplinary background in pharmacology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and statistical genetics. For nearly two decades, her research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has centered on two main areas: 1) the molecular pathogenesis of AD in surviving nerve terminals, and 2) the influence of genetic factors on therapeutic response in AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Her latest study focused on identifying genetic polymorphisms that affect the efficacy of AD medications, including donepezil and other acetylcholinesterase inhibitors.
More recently, Dr. Sokolow has expanded her research to explore the intersection of physical activity and digital health. She is currently leading a pilot study on the health benefits of pickleball, using wearable and app-based tracking to assess its impact on sleep, stress, energy, mood, and overall well-being. A certified PPR pickleball coach, USA Pickleball ambassador, and competitive player, Dr. Sokolow has built strong ties within the pickleball community both locally and nationally—facilitating participant recruitment and broader community engagement. Her work in this emerging field reflects a deep commitment to holistic health promotion and digital innovation.
Areas of Scholarly Expertise and Interest
Alzheimer's disease, genetics, pharmacogenomics, pharmacology and therapeutics, biomarkers, calcium signaling pathways
Faculty Research and Clinical Expertise
Research: Alzheimer's disease, genetics, pharmacogenomics, biomarkers, calcium signaling pathways
Clinical: clinical pharmacy, pharmacovigilance and pharmacosurveillance
Professional Activities
1994-2004
Member, National Board of Pharmacy, Belgium
1997-2004
Consultant, Belgian Ministry of Public Health, Center of Drug Monitoring, Brussels, Belgium
2003
Member, Biophysical Society
2004
Remote reviewer, Journal of Clinical Investigation
2004
Remote reviewer, European Commission, Brussels, Belgium
2005
International Doping Control Officer, International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM)
2007
Member, Society for Neuroscience (SfN)
2009
Member, Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer Research and Treatment (ISTAART)
2009
Member, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience (FUN)
2009
Alzheimer's association peer reviewer
2013
Member, UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute
2014
Member, Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute
Education
University of Mons-Hainaut, Mons, Belgium, BSc, 1991, Pharmaceutical Sciences
Free University of Brussels, Belgium, MSc, 1994, Pharmacy
Free University of Brussels, Belgium, MSc, 2003, Health Sciences - Pharmaceutical Sciences
Free University of Brussels, Belgium, PhD, 2004, Biomedical Sciences
Honors and Awards
1991
Awarded as the most Promising Student in the B. Sc. Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Mons-Hainaut, Belgium
1994
Upjohn Award for the Most Promising Student in the M. Sc. program of Pharmacy degree, Free University of Brussels, School of Pharmacy, Belgium
1997
Doctorate Fellowship in recognition of the undergraduate outstanding merit, Free University of Brussels, Research committee, Belgium
2003
Fellowship award, International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN), San Francisco, CA, USA
2009
Travel award, Alzheimer's Association, International Conference on Alzheimer's disease, Vienna, Austria
2011
Travel award, Alzheimer's Association, International Conference on Alzheimer's disease, Paris, France
2013
Turken Researcher Award, Mary Easton’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at UCLA, Neurology Department, David Geffen UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Publications
S. Sokolow, K. Henkins, T. Bilousova, B. Gonzalez, H.V. Vinters, C.A. Miller, L.B. Cornwell, W. Poon, K.H. Gylys. Intrasynaptic C-terminal truncated tau is released from cortical synapses in Alzheimer’s disease. J Neurochem., 133(3) (2015) 368-79.
L. Apostolova, K.S. Hwang, D. Elashoff, O. Kohannim, E.H. Teng, S. Sokolow, C.R. Jack Jr, W. Jagust, L. Shaw, J.J.Q. Trojanowski, M.W. Weiner, P.M. Thompson, For the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging I. Presence of brain amyloidosis can be ascertained from cognitive, imaging and peripheral blood protein measures. Neurology, 84 (2015) 729-37.
J. Jin, A.J. Lao, M. Katsura, A. Caputo, F. E. Schweizer, S. Sokolow. Involvement of the Sodium-Calcium exchanger 3 (NCX3) in ziram-induced calcium dysregulation and toxicity. Neurotoxicology. 45C (2014), 56-66.
22. §P. Molinaro, M. Cataldi, O. Cuomo, D. Viggiano, G. Pignatero, R. Sirabella, A. Secondo, F. Boscia, A. Pannaccione, A. Scorziello, S. Sokolow, A. Herchuelz, G. Di Renzo and L. Annunziato. Genetically modified mice as a strategy to unravel the role played by the Na(+)/Ca (2+) exchanger in brain ischemia and in spatial learning and memory deficits. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2013;961:213-22.
F. Hohendanner, S. Ljubojević, N. MacQuaide, M. Sacherer, S. Sedej, L. Biesmans, P. Wakula, D. Platzer, S. Sokolow, A. Herchuelz, G. Antoons, K. Sipido, B. Pieske and F. R. Heinzel. Intracellular Dyssynchrony of Diastolic Cytosolic [Ca2+] Decay in Ventricular Cardiomyocytes in Cardiac Remodeling and Human Heart Failure. Circulation Research (2013);113(5):527-38.
F. Boscia, C. D'Avanzo, A. Pannaccione, A. Secondo, A. Casamassa, L. Formisano, N. Guida, S. Sokolow, A. Herchuelz,L. Annunziato, Silencing or knocking out the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger-3 (NCX3) impairs oligodendrocyte differentiation. Cell Death Differ, 19 (2012) 562-572. doi: 10.1038/cdd.2011.125. Erratum in: Cell Death Differ. 2013 Jan;20(1):184.
A. Pannaccione, A. Secondo, P. Molinaro, C. D'Avanzo, M. Cantile, A. Esposito, F. Boscia, A. Scorziello, R. Sirabella, S. Sokolow, A. Herchuelz, G. Di Renzo, L. Annunziato. A New Concept: Aβ1–42 Generates a Hyperfunctional Proteolytic NCX3 Fragment That Delays Caspase-12 Activation and Neuronal Death. J Neurosci, 32 (2012) 10609-10617. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6429-11.2012. Erratum in: J Neurosci. 2012 Dec 12; 32(50):18269.
K. M. Henkins, S. Sokolow, C. A. Miller, H. V. Vinters, W. Poon, L. B. Cornwell, T. Saing, K. H. Gylys. Extensive p-tau pathology and SDS-stable p-tau oligomers in Alzheimer's cortical synapses. Brain Pathology 22 (2012) 826-833.
S. Sokolow, K. M. Henkins, T. Bilousova, C. A. Miller, H. V. Vinters, W. Poon, G. M. Cole, K. H. Gylys. AD synapses contain abundant Abeta monomer and multiple soluble oligomers, including a 56-kDa assembly. Neurobiol Aging 33 (2012) 1545-1555.
Sokolow S, Henkins KM, Williams IA, Vinters HV, Schmid I, Cole GM, Gylys KH. (2012).Isolation of synaptic terminals from Alzheimer's disease cortex. Cytometry A., 81, 248-54.
Ringman JM, Schulman H, Becker C, Jones T, Bai Y, Immermann F, Cole G, Sokolow S, Gylys K, Geschwind DH, Cummings JL, Wan HI. (2012). Proteomic changes in cerebrospinal fluid of presymptomatic and affected persons carrying familial Alzheimer disease mutations. Archives of Neurology, 69, 96-104.
Sokolow S, Luu SH, Nandy K, Miller CA, Vinters HV, Poon WW, Gylys KH. (2012). Preferential accumulation of amyloid-beta in presynaptic glutamatergic terminals (VGluT1 and VGluT2) in Alzheimer's disease cortex. Neurobiology of Disease, 45, 381-7.
A. Verwey, W. M. Van der Flier, K. Blennow, C. Clark, S. Sokolow, P. P. De Deyn, D. Galasko, H.J. Hampel, T. Hartmann, E. Kapaki, L. Lannfelt, P. D. Mehta, L. Parnetti, A. Petzold, T. Pirttila, L. Saleh, A. Skinningsrud, J. Van Swieten, M. M. Verbeek, J. Wiltfang, S. G. Younkin, P. Scheltens, and R. A. Blankenstein. A worldwide multicenter comparison of assays for CSF biomarkers in Alzheimer disease. Ann Clin Biochem.; 46(Pt 3):235-40, 2009.
L. Cross, B. P. Meloni, A. J. Bakker, S. Sokolow, A.Herchuelz, S. Schurmans, N. W. Knuckey. Neuronal injury in NCX3 knockout mice following permanent focal cerebral ischemia and in NCX3 knockout cortical neuronal cultures following oxygen-glucose deprivation and glutamate exposure (2009). J Exp Stroke Transl Med 2(1): 3-9.
J. Jeffs, B. P. Meloni, S. Sokolow, A. Herschuelz, S. Schurmans and N. W. Knuckey (2008). NCX3 knockout mice exhibit increased hippocampal CA1 and CA2 neuronal damage compared to wild-type mice following global cerebral ischemia. Exp Neurol. 210 (1), 268-273.
M. Ringman, S. G. Younkin, D. Pratico, W. Seltzer, G. M. Cole, D. H. Geschwind, Y. Rodriguez, B. Schaffer, J. Fein, S. Sokolow, E. R. Rosario, K. H. Gylys, A. Varpetian, L. D. Medina, J.L. Cummings (2008). Biochemical Markers in Persons with Pre-Clinical Familial Alzheimer's Disease. Neurology. 8;71(2):85-92.
Fein, S. Sokolow, C. A. Miller, H. V. Vinters, F. Yang, G. M. Cole, K. H. Gylys (2008). Co-localization of amyloid beta and tau pathology in Alzheimer's disease synaptosomes. Am. J. Pathol. 172(6):1683-92.
Molinaro, O. Cuomo, G. Pignataro, F. Boscia, R. Sirabella, A. Pannaccione, A. Secondo, A. Scorziello, A. Adornetto, R. Gala, S. Sokolow, A. Herchuelz, S. Schurmans, G. Di Renzo, L. Annunziato (2008). Targeted Disruption of Na+/Ca2+ Exchanger 3 (NCX3) gene leads to a worsening of ischemic brain damage. J. Neurosci. 28(5), 1179-84.
Wehling-Henricks*, S. Sokolow*, J. J. Lee, K. H. Myung, A. Villalta and J. G. Tidball (2008). Major basic protein-1 promotes fibrosis of dystrophic muscle and attenuates the cellular immune response in muscular dystrophy. Hum. Mol. Genet. 17(15):2280-92.* Authors contributing equally to the investigation.
P Philippeau, M. Manto, S. Sokolow, M. A. Laute J. P Brion, M. Pandolfo and R. Pochet (2005). Recent advances in transgenic models of ALS - Electrophysiological, morphological and neurochemical characterization of hSOD-1 G93A transgenic rats. Recent Research in Developmental Physiology, 3:13-31.