Ashley Harms, Ph.D.Ashley Harms, Ph.D., associate professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been named the third holder of John A. and Ruth R. Jurenko Endowed Professorship in Neurology. The appointment was approved by the UAB Board of Trustees at the board’s meeting on April 17, 2026.
“This is a tremendous honor; I am delighted to become the John A. and Ruth R. Jurenko Endowed Professor in Neurology, Harms said. “The support of the Jurenko family is incredible as it will allow me to continue to serve the Parkinson’s community through my research efforts in the lab and in the community through educational outreach.”
Harms is an accomplished neuroscientist and educator whose work bridges fundamental discovery, mentorship, and service to the Parkinson’s disease community. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Texas A&M University in 2006, followed by a Ph.D. in integrative biology from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in 2010. Harms continued her training with a postdoctoral fellowship in neurology at UAB, which she completed in 2015. The fellowship was focused on analyzing the role of neuroinflammation, specifically antigen presentation in mouse models of Parkinson's disease.
Harms joined the UAB faculty in 2015 as an instructor of neurology and was promoted to assistant professor the following year. In 2022, she was promoted to associate professor of neurology with the award of tenure, reflecting her growing impact in research, teaching, and service. Her academic accomplishments have been widely recognized, including her selection as a UAB Pittman Scholar, the UAB Heersink School of Medicine Dean’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2021, and the UAB Graduate School Dean’s Award for Excellence in Mentorship in 2023. In 2023, she was named a Heersink School of Medicine Featured Discovery Recipient, and in 2024, she was appointed to the William A. Major Jr. Endowed Faculty Scholarship.
Harms is deeply engaged in professional and community service related to neurodegenerative disease research and advocacy. She is a member of the Society for Neuroscience and the International Society for Neuroimmunology and has served in leadership roles, including as the Alabama Assistant State Director for the Parkinson’s Action Network and Junior Board Co-Director for the Parkinson’s Association of Alabama. She currently serves as an active board member of the Parkinson’s Association of Alabama, an advisor to the Michael J. Fox Foundation, and a member of the basic science committee of the World Parkinson Coalition.
Her research program is focused on understanding the cellular and immunological mechanisms that drive the initiation and progression of Parkinson’s disease and related synucleinopathies. Harms investigates how alpha synuclein and co pathologies contribute to microglial activation, peripheral immune cell infiltration, and subsequent immune responses in Parkinson’s disease and multiple system atrophy. Through this work, she aims to advance understanding of disease mechanisms and identify pathways that may lead to novel therapeutic strategies.