Understanding Neuronal Vulnerability to Degeneration in Parkinson’s Disease

A critical unanswered question in the neurodegeneration field is why certain cells and structures are more vulnerable to some neurodegenerative disease than others. This project aims to address this question of selective vulnerability for Parkinson’s disease by using single-cell transcriptomic methods to compare gene expression across multiple vulnerable and resistant neuronal subtypes in a Parkinson’s disease mouse model. In doing so, the team hopes to identify common susceptibility factors and novel neuroprotective pathways whose specific manipulation could prevent physiological dysfunction in vulnerable neurons.