This research focuses on mitochondria dysregulation in neurodegenerative diseases. We believe that this research can be used to understand potential causes for disease onset that could lead to therapeutics combating neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease and ALS. Techniques such as super resolution microscopy like STED and SIM or expansion microscopy have improved the ability to accurately understand protein distribution within individual organelles and mitochondria distribution throughout the cell.
Results of this technique can be used as a starting point to study the effect of Parkinson's disease linked mutations on mitochondrial turnover and begin to understand the importance of regulating reactive oxygen species levels and mitochondrial membrane potential to maintain neuronal health. Our laboratory aims to mechanistically characterize individual mitochondrial quality control pathways to understand the interplay between these pathways. By having insights into pathway dynamics, one can understand how mitochondria are maintained and how mitochondrial dysregulation contributes to neurodegenerative disease onset.
