Rehana Leak, PhD, graduated with a bachelor’s from Barnard College and with her master’s and doctorate from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Leak studies endogenous adaptations to cellular stress as a function of brain region and of age. The main hypothesis of the Leak lab is that natural adaptations to cellular stress delay the onset of neurodegeneration and slow its progression. However, some endogenous adaptations, such as heat shock protein changes, wane in old age. Furthermore, brain regions appear to differ in their intrinsic defenses, thereby leading to topographic or spatiotemporal patterns of degeneration. Dr. Leak has authored 37 publications and 3three book chapters. Her work has been cited 1352 times. She was voted Professor of the Year by the Pharmacy Class of 2015. She also received the Faculty Award for outstanding scholarship, teaching, and service to Duquesne University in 2013.