Specialty Division

Neuropathology, Cancer and Immunobiology

Research Expertise

My research aims to improve our understanding of the synucleinopathies, a group of neurodegenerative disorders that include Parkinson’s disease (PD), Lewy body dementia and multiple system atrophy (MSA). PD is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that affects over 1 million individuals in the U.S. alone, and for which there is currently no cure. Lewy bodies are also found in nearly half of all Alzheimer's disease patients examined at autopsy.

Our lab's current efforts focus on three major themes:

1) The Role of Protein Misfolding in PD and Related Synucleinopathies: Histopathological, genetic, and experimental evidence suggest that the aggregation and accumulation of alpha-synuclein (α-Syn), the primary component of Lewy bodies, underlies the symptoms seen in PD. We previously demonstrated that aggregated forms of α-Syn are transmissible entities that propagate and spread throughout the brain in a manner akin to prion diseases. This exciting discovery represents a significant shift in our understanding of PD etiology and progression. Through the development of novel biophysical, cell-based and animal models, my work seeks to identify factors that a) regulate α-Syn expression and misfolding, b) determine its route of transmission and c) modulate the toxicity of α-Syn pathology.

2) Novel Therapeutics Against Synucleinopathies: Present treatments provide temporary relief to motor impairments but do not alter the neurodegenerative process. In collaboration with UPenn’s Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research Drug Discovery group, our team has been developing small molecules and biologicals that inhibit the accumulation and transmission of abnormal α-syn species or neutralize their action.

3) Biology of Selective Vulnerability: Synucleinopathies are multisystem disorders that affects only specific cell populations. The reasons for this selective vulnerability is unclear. By characterizing the pathways that govern their development and maintenance, we and others have shown that a susceptible are defined by their connectivity and specific transcription profiles that regulate their function.

This research is conducted by a talented and dedicated team of research specialists, postdoctoral researchers, and students. We are regularly in search of new members.

Itmat Expertise

Neurodegeneration, Parkinson's disease, drug discovery, cell-models, animal models, dementia, alpha-synuclein

Graduate Groups

Neuroscience

Education

BSc (Microbiology and Immunology), McGill University, 1997
PhD (Pathology), McGill University, 2004
MSTR (Translational Research), University of Pennsylvania, 2013

Specialty Certification

Postgraduate Training

Postdoctoral fellowship, University of Pennsylvania, 2005-2009

Awards and Honors

Doctoral Research Award / Canadian Institutes for Health Research, 2000-2003
Teuber-Neysmith Graduate Research Award, Montreal Neurological Institute, 2002
Research Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania Institute for Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT), 2010-2012

Memberships and Professional Organizations

Society for Neuroscience, 2004 - Present
Parkinson's UK, 2013 - Present
Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg, 2014 - Present
Medical Research Council, UK, 2015 - Present
Cure Parkinsons Trust (UK), 2017 - Present
NIH, 2017 - 2023
Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, 2017 - 2020
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), 2017 - 2020
Movement Disorders Society, 2018 - Present
Michael J. Fox Foundation, 2019 - Present
Austrian Science Fund, 2020 - Present
Parkinson's Foundation, 2020 - Present
International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, 2020 - Present
NIH, 2022 - 2022
Multiple System Atrophy Coalition, 2022 - Present
NIH, 2022 - 2022
NIH, 2023 - 2023
Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), 2023 - present
NIH, 2024 - present

Web Links

Selected Publications

Search PubMed for articles