Targeting Shared Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative and Metabolic Disease

A growing body of evidence indicates that obesity in mid-life increases the risk of dementia later in life, and that interventions that reduce obesity can be neuroprotective. We will test if improvements in metabolic state can slow or delay neurodegeneration in mice. To identify cellular and molecular level shared between metabolic and neurodegenerative disease, we will use 3D cultures of human pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons, astrocytes, and microglial cells to test how dietary factors and hormones promote neuronal loss.