RESEARCH

Our laboratory seeks to understand how aging influences neuronal identity, function, and vulnerability to neurodegenerative disease. By integrating direct neuronal reprogramming, human disease modeling, and molecular biology, we aim to discover fundamental mechanisms of neuronal aging and develop therapeutic strategies for currently incurable neurological disorders. 

1. Neuronal Aging

Understanding how aging influences neuronal function and vulnerability to disease.

• Investigating the genetic, epigenetic, and molecular mechanisms that drive aging in human neurons.

• Identifying conserved regulators of neuronal aging across multiple neuronal subtypes.

• Defining aging-associated pathways that contribute to neuronal resilience and degeneration.

​​​2. Neurodegenerative Diseases

Modeling human neurodegenerative diseases to identify therapeutic targets and develop novel treatment strategies.

• Developing longitudinal human neuron models to investigate how aging influences late-onset neurodegenerative diseases.

• Studying the molecular mechanisms underlying Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and retinal degenerative disorders.

• Identifying disease-modifying pathways that regulate neuronal survival, proteostasis, autophagy-lysosomal function, and protein aggregation.