AGING, ALS and ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE
Discovering underlying factors that precipitate cellular degeneration
We discovered that while the number of motor neurons remains unchanged, motor synapses (VAChT, red puncta) decrease with advancing age (Maxwell N, Aging Cell 2018). Aged motor neurons accumulate large amounts of lipofuscin (magenta colored structure next to nuclei in the right image).
Cellular Degeneration in the Nervous System
Our lab is deploying a myriad of molecular, cellular and functional techniques to first understand cells most susceptible to aging and age-related diseases in the brain and spinal cord. We then seek to identify molecules that could protect the nervous system from the ravages of aging, ALS and Alzheimer’s Disease.