Our research seeks to understand why certain types of brain cells are especially vulnerable in different neurodegenerative diseases—for example, why motor neurons are affected in ALS, dopamine-producing neurons in Parkinson’s disease, or cholinergic neurons in Alzheimer’s disease, among others. This research asks key questions such as: What makes these specific neurons more sensitive to damage? Which cellular processes go wrong in these diseases? And how do genetic mutations lead to the gradual breakdown of these cells? To answer these questions, researchers study a wide range of processes inside cells, including chromatin organization and the nuclear pore, DNA repair, RNA metabolism, translation, protein folding and localization, lipid metabolism, membrane-less organelles including stress granules, axonal transport, and mitochondrial function. Tools used include genome editing (CRISPR/Cas9), gene silencing (RNAi), stem cells, advanced cell culture models including also primary human cells, animal models, patient tissues and fluid samples, neuroanatomy, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and biochemistry.
Research subject Neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the selective loss of specific neuronal populations with corresponding distinct clinical features.