Funded Studies

Study Rationale:
It is known that the brain cells damaged in Parkinson's disease (PD) struggle to generate energy. This is because mitochondria -- powerhouses of the cell -- are faulty in these cells...

Study Rationale:
Many people with Parkinson's disease (PD) have an abnormal glucocerebrosidase (GBA) enzyme, which causes them to accumulate fatty acids -- chemicals that make up fat -- in the brain...

Study Rationale:
Mitochondria -- the powerhouses of the cell -- have their own DNA that contains the instructions to make thirteen proteins. Fragments of these proteins, known as N-formyl peptides...

Study Rationale:
Being the primary component of Lewy bodies -- protein clumps that are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) -- the protein alpha-synuclein plays the central role in PD...

Study Rationale:
Mutations (changes) in the gene for the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) protein cause inherited Parkinson's disease (PD). Because the activity of LRRK2 is increased in such mutant...

Study Rationale:
In the past, we demonstrated that entry of CCR2-positive monocytes into the brain is required for alpha-synuclein-induced inflammation and neurodegeneration in a model of Parkinson's...