Research Faculty at MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease
Albers, Mark W., MD, Ph.D
Dr. Albers’ Laboratory uses the olfactory system of mice and humans to elucidate early pathologic events of neurodegeneration.
Bacskai, Brian, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Bacskai's research is aimed at optimizing anti-amyloid-beta therapeutic approaches and--using multiphoton microscopy--imaging the anatomy and physiology of specific cell types in the brain before and after treatment.
Berezovska, Oksana, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Berezovska's research goal is to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's disease pathology. Her lab analyzes gamma-secretase and APP interactions, examining mechanisms by which certain factors modulate A beta production and/or regulate the precision of APP cleavage by gamma-secretase.
Cantuti-Castelvetri, Ippolita, PhD, Instructor in Neurology
Dr. Cantuti-Castelvetri studys changes in gene expression patterns associated with alpha-synuclein related disorders such as Parkinson disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. Dr. Cantuti-Castelvetri also collaborates on research aimed at understanding molecular mechanisms involved in the development of drug-induced dyskinesia in Parkinson's disease.
Clark, Timothy, M.Sc., Director of Informatics, Associate Professor
Dr. Clark researches neuroinformatics and semantic models of theory and evidence in biomedical research. Disease interest: Alzheimer's disease
Cudkowicz, Merit, MD, MSc, Professor of Neurology
Dr. Cudkowicz's research and clinical activities are dedicated to the study and treatment of patients with neurodegenerative disorders, in particular amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s Disease (HD).
DiFiglia, Marian, PhD, Professor of Neurology
Marian DiFiglia leads a multidisciplinary research team investigating the role of the HD mutation in the molecular and cellular events leading to neurodegeneration.
Dunah, Anthone, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Dunah's research involves exploring the mechanisms and signaling pathways by which dysregulation of NMDA receptor functions causes parkinsonism and dyskinesias using in vivo and in vitro models.
Frosch, Matthew, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology
Dr. Frosch's laboratory studies the development and characterization of animal models of human neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases.
Gomez-Isla, Teresa, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Gomez-Isla’s research includes basic science using transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, analyzing data on clinical, neuroimaging and genetic features of demented patients and healthy controls. She also manages multiple clinical trials.
Guenette, Suzanne, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Guénette’s research focuses on the molecular pathways that impact amyloid precursor protein (APP) function, as well as the generation and degradation of b-amyloid, a peptide central to the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease.
Hersch, Steven, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Hersch's clinical and research interests are in neurodegenerative disorders and particularly Huntington's disease (HD).
Hyman, Bradley, MD, PhD, John B. Penney Professor of Neurology
Dr. Hyman’s research program studies the neural system failure that underlies cognitive loss in Alzheimer’s, and how genetics impacts pathophysiology.
Kazantsev, Alex, PhD Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Kazantsev's laboratory is focused on discovery therapeutic agents for Huntington's and Parkinson's diseases using methods of high throughput screening, rational drug design, and medicinal chemistry lead optimization.
Kegel, Kimberly, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Kegel studies the normal and altered function of huntingtin (htt), the protein mutated in Huntington Disease.
Kim, Doo Yeon, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Doo Yeon Kim, of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit, is part of Dr. Dora Kovac's team, studying beta-secretase (BACE), an enzyme in the brain which can release small fragments of the amyloid precursor protein (APP), the main ingredient for Alzheimer’s plaques.
Kovacs, Dora, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Kovac's research focuses on the molecular events underlying neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.
Krainc, Dimitri, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Dimitri Krainc is using molecular and genomic approaches to identify mechanisms that lead to neurodegeneration.
Li, Airong, MD, D Phil, Instructor in Neurology
The primary focus of Dr. Li's research is applying the genetics of Drosophila to identify and characterize novel Alzheimer's disease genes.
Li, Xueyi, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Li directs studies that involve validation of Rab11 as a therapeutic target for developing Huntington’s disease therapy, and creation of new animal models of autism spectrum disorders.
Maxwell, Michele, PhD, Instructor in Neurology
Michele Maxwell is examining the possibilities of using a cutting edge technique called RNA interference as a way to understand ALS and mimic the effects of potential therapeutics.
McLean, Pamela, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. McLean uses genetic and molecular approaches to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease, dementia with Lewy bodies and related disorders.
Moir, Robert D., PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Moir's work focuses on the biochemical and cellular mechanisms involved in neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease and aging.
Rosas, Herminia Diana, MD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Rosas and her team investigate the regional and temporal progression of changes that occur in the normal aging process of the brain, and how those are distinct from Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Sadri-Vakili, Ghazaleh, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Sadri-Vakili's research focuses on delineating the molecular mechanisms that underlie transcriptional dysregulation in Huntington's disease.
Schwarzschild, Michael A., MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Schwarzschild's research largely focuses on the role of three purines--adenosine, caffeine and urate--in animal models of Parkinson's disease.
Spires-Jones, Tara, PhD, Assistant Professor of Neurology
Using multiphoton imaging, Dr. Spires currently studies the effects of accumulation of amyloid beta into senile plaques and phosphorylated tau into neurofibrillary tangles on dendritic spines, neurite morphology, and neuronal death.
Tanzi, Rudy, PhD, Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology
Dr. Tanzi's research is primarily aimed at identifying and characterizing Alzheimer’s disease-associated gene mutations/variants with the ultimate goal of defining the molecular, cellular, and biochemical events leading to neuronal cell death in the brains of AD patients.
Dr. Vanderburg's current research focus is on the microgenomic and microproteomic profiling of human neuropathological tissue specimens and their derivatives, including miRNAs and exosomes.
Wasco, Wilma, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology
Dr. Wasco studies the regulation and function of genes that have been associated with Alzheimer's disease.
Young, Anne B., MD, PhD, Julianne Dorn Professor of Neurology, Neurology Chief, Director, MIND
Dr. Young directs a comprehensive drug discovery program at MIND, which has been successful in identifying drug targets for Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Her laboratory also studies the role of the protein alpha-synuclein,
