The UAB Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology (CDIB)
continues its article series Meet the Minds of CDIB. The series spotlights the diverse faculty who power the department’s groundbreaking research. Through candid interviews, it gives readers a closer look at the career paths, passions, and real-world impacts of UAB researchers shaping the future of medicine.
One of those researchers is Susan Campbell, Ph.D., associate professor in CDIB. Campbell is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on uncovering the mechanisms of seizure development and treatment, with a growing emphasis on the role of the gut microbiome in neurological health.
Campbell’s academic journey began at UAB, where she earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience in the laboratory of John J. Hablitz, Ph.D., studying mechanisms of seizure development. She went on to complete two postdoctoral fellowships, the second with Harald Sontheimer, Ph.D., a leading glial biologist, formerly at UAB. There, she investigated mechanisms underlying glioma-induced seizures. In 2015, Campbell joined Virginia Tech as an assistant professor in the School of Animal Sciences and became affiliated faculty in the School of Neuroscience. In 2023, she returned to UAB to join CDIB as an associate professor.
Broadly, Campbell’s research explores how seizures develop across multiple disease models and how they can best be treated. For the past seven years, her lab has been studying the gut microbiome’s role in seizure development and treatment response. “While I am not a microbiologist, I was intrigued by evidence linking the gut microbiome to neurological function,” Campbell said. “We began asking how microbial changes affect seizure development and are now exploring how they influence treatment responses and the efficacy of anti-seizure medications.”
Her current projects include testing gut-specific metabolites for their effects on seizure generation, treatment, and neural cell function; examining how maternal microbiome composition influences offspring seizure susceptibility in hypoxia-induced models; and investigating how nicotine vaping exposure impacts brain cell function and seizure susceptibility across diseases. Given the prevalence of vaping and probiotic use, Campbell envisions her work leading to new probiotic-based therapies and a greater understanding of neurological risks tied to lifestyle behaviors.
Mentorship has also been a guiding force in Campbell’s career. She credits Hablitz for taking a chance on her “as a young, aspiring scientist from the streets of the Bronx,” and nurturing her development as an electrophysiologist. She also cites Sontheimer as a transformative influence: “His visionary approach to science shaped how I think about research, and his guidance was instrumental in my pursuit of an independent career. I owe much of my success to him.”
Ultimately, Campbell says UAB’s collaborative spirit drew her back. “Virginia Tech offered a great research environment, but I always knew it was not my final destination. When the opportunity arose to return to UAB, I was excited. The research environment and collaborative culture here contributed to my decision.”
Follow along with the Meet the Minds of CDIB series to discover more about the faculty advancing science at UAB.