Â鶹Porn

Assistant Professor

Biography

Much of Dr. Myrum's graduate work at the University of Bergen (Norway) focused on the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying long-term memory formation. In particular, he investigated the activity-regulated cytoskeleton-associated protein (Arc), an immediate early gene that plays a critical role in memory consolidation. Using a multidisciplinary approach, his work examined Arc across multiple levels of analysis, from genetic variation and the regulation of gene expression to the identification of novel protein-protein interactions and the characterization of the protein's structural properties. This work contributed to a broader understanding of how molecular signaling processes support the formation and persistence of memory.

Dr. Myrum then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience within the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging at the National Institutes of Health. One line of research extended his interest in Arc, exploring whether age-related changes in Arc signaling contribute to cognitive outcomes in later life. His work provided evidence that alterations in Arc expression may influence memory capacity in older age.

A second major focus of his postdoctoral research centered on the role of sleep in cognitive aging. Although sleep disturbances are among the most common changes associated with aging, the neural and molecular mechanisms linking altered sleep to age-related cognitive decline remain poorly understood. Progress in this area has been hindered by the lack of animal models that reliably recapitulate the relationships between sleep and cognition observed in humans. To begin addressing this challenge, Dr. Myrum characterized a translational animal model of normal cognitive aging to establish its utility for studying the mechanisms through which sleep influences cognitive and brain health in later life.

Since joining the Department of Biology at Â鶹Porn in 2022, Dr. Myrum's research program has integrated these longstanding interests at the intersection of sleep, memory, and aging. While some projects continue to investigate the role of Arc in learning and memory, his primary focus is understanding how sleep and sleep loss shape the brain and behavior across the lifespan. Because longitudinal human studies often require decades of follow-up, substantial financial resources, and very large participant cohorts, animal models with conserved sleep-wake regulatory systems provide a powerful opportunity to uncover causal mechanisms linking sleep to cognition—and how they change with age.

By uncovering the biological mechanisms through which sleep supports memory and cognitive resilience, Dr. Myrum’s work aims to inform strategies that promote healthier aging and improve quality of life across the lifespan.

Publications

Bolded names indicate Loyola student researchers who contributed to this work.

• Rehman, Z.J., Socarras, A.J., Player, J.G., Myrum, C. 2026. Arc Expression in the Dentate Gyrus of F344 Rats Across the Sleep-Wake Cycle. microPublication Biology.
• Myrum, C., Uttke, Z., Ramezan, D., Stelzner, M.E., Long, J.M., Rapp, P.R.R. 2025. Spike-wave discharges are uncoupled with cognitive outcome in aged Long-Evans rats. Psychopharmacology.
• Stinnette, B., Long, J.M., Myrum, C. 2025. Constructing and Implementing a Low-Cost On-Demand Morris Water Maze Platform, bio-protocol 10.21769/BioProtoc.5428
• Myrum, C., Moreno-Castilla, P., Rapp, P.R.R. 2022. Arc-hitecture of normal cognitive aging. Ageing Research Reviews, 101678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2022.101678
• Myrum, C., Kittleson, J., Fletcher, B., Di., S., Becker, K., Rapp, P.R.R. 2020. Survey of the Arc epigenetic landscape in Normal Cognitive Aging. Molec. Neurobiol.
• Rapp, P.R.R., Bañuelos, C., Myrum, C. 2020. Neuroadaptive Trajectories of Healthy Mindspan: from Genes to Neural Networks. Handbook of Cognitive Aging. Cambridge University Press.
• Myrum, C., Rossi, S.L., Perez, E.J., Rapp, P.R., 2019. Cortical network dynamics are coupled with cognitive aging in rats. Hippocampus. 29:12, 1165–1177.
• Myrum, C., Baumann, A., Bustad, H.J., Flydal, M.I., Mariaule, V., Alvira, S., Cuéllar, J., Haavik, J., Soulé, J., Valpuesta, J.M., Márquez, J.A., Martinez, A., Bramham, C.R., 2015. Arc is a flexible modular protein capable of reversible self-oligomerization. Biochem. J. 468 (1), 145–158.
• Soulé, J., Alme, M., Myrum, C., Schubert, M., Kanhema, T., Bramham, C.R., 2012. Balancing Arc Synthesis, mRNA Decay, and Proteasomal Degradation. J. Biol. Chem. 287, 22354–22366.

Area of Specialization 

• Neurobiology
• Sleep
• Cognitive aging