Our Mission:
Understanding and Stopping Brain Degeneration
What We're Trying to Solve
Imagine your brain as a highly organized city where proteins are the workers keeping everything running smoothly. In diseases like Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, these proteins start malfunctioning—they lose their shape, stick together in clumps, and eventually cause the brain's vital systems to break down. The Lashuel Laboratory is working to understand exactly why these proteins go wrong and how we can stop them. Our research combines chemistry, biology, and advanced cell technology to uncover the root causes of brain degeneration, with the goal of creating treatments that can actually slow or prevent these diseases—not just manage symptoms.
Our Approach
We tackle this challenge from multiple angles. We're investigating what triggers proteins to start clumping together in the first place and how these toxic clumps travel through the brain, spreading damage as they go. We're also building sophisticated models in the lab using actual human brain cells, including miniature brain-like structures, that let us watch disease processes unfold in real time and test potential treatments in conditions that closely mirror what happens in patients.
At the same time, we're searching for early warning signs—biomarkers in blood or spinal fluid that could alert doctors to disease long before symptoms appear. We're also developing new imaging tools that would allow doctors to see these harmful protein clumps forming in living brains. By piecing together this comprehensive picture of how neurodegeneration works, we aim to create a future where these devastating diseases can be caught early, tracked accurately, and ultimately stopped before they rob people of their memories, movement, and independence.
Global Collaboration: The Foundation of Our Success
At the heart of our research lies a robust network of international collaborations with leading laboratories at top-tier institutions across the United States, Europe, and Australia. These partnerships are not merely peripheral to our work—they are fundamental to everything we do. By connecting with world-class researchers who bring diverse expertise, access to cutting-edge technologies, and complementary perspectives, we create a synergistic environment where breakthrough and impactful discoveries become possible.
This global network provides invaluable opportunities for members of the Lashuel Lab, particularly early-career scientists, to gain hands-on experience with specialized techniques, access state-of-the-art facilities, and learn from pioneers in adjacent fields. Through exchange programs, joint projects, and collaborative publications, these collaborations transform our lab into a dynamic hub where knowledge flows freely across borders, where trainees work alongside experts from multiple disciplines, and where the next generation of neuroscientists gains the tools and confidence to tackle the most pressing challenges in the field. In short, our collaborative ethos doesn't just advance our science—it shapes the careers and lives of those who pass through our doors.