Research

Research in this Department is directed towards elucidating the pathophysiology of chronic progressive neurological diseases.

Outline of Projects

(1) Cellular mechanisms of Parkinson's disease

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by slowness of movement, rigidity, and a resting tremor. Research is directed toward elucidating the cellular mechanisms underlying neuronal injury and death in PD, and developing therapeutic countermeasures.

(2) Cholinergic neurons: their physiology and disease

Cholinergic neurons are known to participate in motor function, autonomic nervous system, and integrative brain functions such as learning and memory. Malfunctions of cholinergic neurons constitute a basis for several devastating neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Our research project is aimed to understand how cholinergic phenotype is established and maintained in the brain, and how cholinergic neurons are affected in various disease states. The goal of the study is to create potential new therapies for the cholinergic disorders.

Morphological changes in GFP-transfected dopaminergic neurons in culture following administration of MPP+ showing early "curly" appearance of neurites.

Somatomotor neuron-specific Cre mouse.A subset of motor neurons (stained with anti-ChAT antibody; brown)in the ventral horn (VH) of the spinal cord expresses Cre recombinase(shown by LacZ-staining; dark blue).

Staff