We explore new strategies for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and related synucleinopathies such as Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). These diseases are characterized by the aggregation of the protein α-synuclein (αS), an abundant nerve cell component in the brain. With no disease-modifying drugs available, there is a great need for robust models that recapitulate how early changes in the normal maintenance of α-synuclein can lead to these aggregates. Combining cell biology, biochemistry, microscopy, high-content imaging and screening approaches, we want to:
- understand normal αS cell biology,
- define abnormal αS states,
- transform abnormal αS states into screenable phenotypes,
- use the correction of abnormal states as a readout for drug discovery.
Current Lab Members
Heba Alnakhala, BS
Research Technician
Ulf Dettmer, PhD
Associate Professor of Neurology
Arati Tripathi, PhD
Instructor in Neurology
Nagendran Ramalingam, PhD
Instructor in Neurology