NEOMED Researcher Receives Hometown Honor

Mitch O’Hara, a research assistant who works in the lab of Jeffrey Mellott, Ph.D., was recently named the Seven Hills Hall of Fame Resident of the Month for August, 2021. O’Hara was honored for his current work with the Seven Hills Parks Committee, as well as previous work with the city’s Parks Department and Recreation Center. 

As part of Dr. Mellot’s lab, O’Hara assists with research on synaptic changes in the brain that occur with aging. The lab team uses a wide variety of techniques to help look at specific cells and neurotransmitters in the auditory midbrain. Mainly, they examine GABA, which is a key neurotransmitter that is reduced in the brain over time and could eventually cause neurodegenerative disorders. This research helps to follow these synaptic changes along other pathways in the brain to further understand how interpretation and perception of speech is affected during the aging process. 

O’Hara lives in Seven Hills with his fiancé, Georgia, and enjoy walking their dogs throughout the City’s parks and neighborhoods. 

“Being a part of the Seven Hills community has been great so far, and Georgia and I cannot wait to raise our family in this wonderful city after our marriage in October,” he said.