• B.S., Biochemistry and Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Tennessee
• M.S., Enterprise in Bioscience, University of Sunderland, United Kingdom
• Ph.D., Biomedical Sciences, Auburn University

Dr. McCurdy’s doctoral research focused on gene therapy approaches for neurodegenerative lysosomal storage diseases, including Tay-Sachs disease, Sandhoff disease, and GM1 gangliosidosis.

Dr. McCurdy joined the Department of Biological Sciences in 2014 as a teaching faculty member. She has experience teaching Animal Biology (BIO 1123), Biology I (BIO 1134), Human Anatomy (BIO 3004), Human Genetics (BIO 4133/6133), Immunology (BIO 4413/6413), and Genetics and Molecular Biology (BIO 6013).

Aime K. Johnson*, Victoria J. McCurdy*, Heather L. Gray-Edwards *, J. Nicholas Cochran, Amanda L. Gross, Haleigh E. Skinner, et al. 2023. Life-Limiting Peripheral Organ Dysfunction in Feline Sandhoff Disease Emerges after Effective CNS Gene Therapy. Annals of Neurology. 94 (5): 969 – 986.

*Recognized as joint first authors

Victoria J. McCurdy, Aime K. Johnson, Heather L. Gray-Edwards, Ashley N. Randle, Allison M. Bradbury, Nancy E. Morrison, et al. 2021. Therapeutic benefit after intracranial gene therapy delivered during the symptomatic stage in a feline model of Sandhoff disease. Gene Therapy. 28 (3-4): 142-154.

Heather L. Gray-Edwards, Xuntian Jiang, Ashley N. Randle, Amanda R. Taylor, Taylor L. Voss, Aime K. Johnson, Victoria J. McCurdy, et al. 2017. Lipidomic Evaluation of Feline Neurologic Disease after AAV Gene Therapy. Molecular Therapy Methods and Clinical Development. 6: 135–142.

Heather L. Gray-Edwards, Debra S. Regier, Jamie L. Shirley, Ashley N. Randle, Nouha Salibi, Sarah E. Thomas, Yvonne L. Latour, Jean Johnston, Gretchen Golas, Annie S. Maguire, Amanda R. Taylor, Donald C. Sorjonen, Victoria J. McCurdy, et al. 2017. Novel Biomarkers of Human GM1 Gangliosidosis Reflect the Clinical Efficacy of Gene Therapy in a Feline Model. Molecular Therapy. 25 (4): 892–903.

Allison M. Bradbury, Tiffany A. Peterson, Amanda L. Gross, Stephen Z. Wells, Victoria J. McCurdy, Karen G. Wolfe, et al. 2016. AAV Mediated Gene Delivery Attenuates Neuroinflammation in Feline Sandhoff Disease. Neuroscience. 340: 117–125.

Heather L. Gray-Edwards, Brandon L. Brunson, Merrilee Holland, Adriene-Maxence Hespel, Allison M. Bradbury, Victoria J. McCurdy, et al. 2015. Mucopolysaccharidosis-like phenotype in feline Sandhoff disease and partial correction after AAV gene therapy. Molecular Genetics and Metabolism. 116: 80–87.

Victoria J. McCurdy, Hannah E. Rockwell, Julian R. Arthur, Allison M. Bradbury, Aime K. Johnson, Ashley N. Randle, et al. 2015. Widespread Correction of Central Nervous System Disease after Intracranial Gene Therapy in a Feline Model of Sandhoff Disease. Gene Therapy 22 (2): 181–189.

Hannah E. Rockwell, Victoria J. McCurdy, Samuel C. Eaton, Diane U. Wilson, Aime K. Johnson, Ashley N. Randle, et al. 2015. AAV-Mediated Gene Delivery in a Feline Model of Sandhoff Disease Corrects Lysosomal Storage in the Central Nervous System. ASN Neuro 7 (2): 1759091415569908.

Allison M. Bradbury, Heather Gray-Edwards, Jamie L. Shirley, Victoria J. McCurdy, Alexandria. N. Colaco, Ashley N. Randle, et al. 2015. Biomarkers for Disease Progression and AAV Therapeutic Efficacy in Feline Sandhoff Disease. Experimental Neurology 263: 102–112.

Victoria J. McCurdy, Aime K. Johnson, Heather L. Gray-Edwards, Ashley N. Randle, Brandon L. Brunson, Nancy E. Morrison, et al. 2014. Sustained Normalization of Neurological Disease after Intracranial Gene Therapy in a Feline Model. Science Translational Medicine 6:231ra48.

Heather L. Gray-Edwards, Nouha Salibi, Eleanor M. Josephson, Judith A. Hudson, Nancy R. Cox, Ashley N. Randle, Victoria J. McCurdy, et al. 2014. High Resolution MRI Anatomy of the Cat Brain at 3 Tesla. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 227:10-17.

Allison M. Bradbury, J. Nicholas Cochran, Victoria J. McCurdy, Aime K. Johnson, Brandon L. Brunson, Heather Gray-Edwards, et al. 2013. Therapeutic Response in Feline Sandhoff Disease Despite Immunity to Intracranial Gene Therapy. Molecular Therapy 21: 1306-15.