Funded Studies

Study Rationale:
Mutations in the LRRK2 gene are known to cause Parkinson’s disease (PD), but how mutations in this gene lead to neuron death is not yet known. Astrocytes, which are brain cells that su...

Study Rationale:
Research in Parkinson’s disease has largely focused on events that occur within neurons that are lost in disease. However far more abundant than neurons in the human brain are a type...

Study Rationale:
In addition to neurons, astrocytes are the other major cell type that have increased alpha-synuclein in Parkinson’s disease (PD). In fact, more astrocytes have increased alpha...

Study Rationale:
Methods are needed for imaging early pathological changes in the brain. With such brain imaging, we would be able to determine whether medications are protecting against progression of...

Study Rationale:
We have shown that Parkinson’s disease has an underlying neuroinflammatory component that involves microglia, which are inflammatory and immune cells in the brain. We have developed an...

Study Rationale:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is marked by the loss of dopamine neurons in part of the midbrain, a section toward the base of the brain that serves important functions in movement. In the...