Research
Drug development | Neurodegeneration
Our laboratory is developing novel therapeutics for tauopathies, including Alzheimer's disease (AD), progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and frontotemporal dementia. We are developing drugs that ameliorate proteostatic dysfunction associated with these conditions.
Proteostasis, Aging, & Healthspan
As we age, protein quality control systems deteriorate, contributing to loss of protein homeostasis (proteostasis) that in turn exacerbates disease. Loss of proteostasis is one of the key hallmarks of aging that should be ameliorated by therapeutic approaches seeking to promote healthy aging. We are studying how cellular mechanisms become dysfunctional with age and contribute to loss of proteostasis.
Metal ion physiology & dyshomeostasis
Metal ions such as zinc and copper are essential for normal protein structure, but their role as second messengers during intracellular signaling is underexplored. Our laboratory studies how metal ions dynamically regulate protein structure in both health and disease. Importantly, metal ion homeostasis is relevant to both proteostasis and neurodegeneration.
