We are interested in the fundamental mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer’s disease. Over the past century-plus, research has revealed specific proteins that misfold and are deposited in neurodegeneration, and recent discoveries have identified other molecular and cellular actors that seem to play a role in the development and progression of disease. However, despite these advances, disease-modifying therapies are limited.

To address this gap, we are examining neurodegeneration from new perspectives and making use of new technologies in our research. We study the genomic changes, or somatic mutations, that occur in brain cells during aging and disease. We examine how somatic mutations occur and what they can teach us about disease at the level of individual cells. Our research utilizes interdisciplinary approaches, including neurodegenerative disease biology, genomics, neuropathology, molecular biology, neuroscience, and computational biology. Our methods include the isolation of single cells, amplification of the genomes, single-cell genome sequencing, and analysis of the patterns found in each cell’s genome. We hope to use this knowledge to contribute to the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for neurodegeneration.