Role of the immune system in neurodegeneration

Dr Medeiros discovered that Alzheimer's disease promotes defects in fundamental molecular events that limit and resolve inflammation, and demonstrated that such changes account for a substantial portion of the disease pathogenesis.  Currently, his lab is undertaking the challenge of using and developing novel animal models in parallel with studies on affected human subjects to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms linking inflammation to β-amyloid, tau pathology and cognitive decline.  Understanding these mechanisms will allow definition of the biological pathways involved in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and identify potential therapeutic targets for the management of this devastating disorder.

Impact of comorbidities in brain ageing and disease

The Neurula Lab also studies the impact of comorbidities in neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease.  We seek to understand how concurrent diseases that commonly occur in the elderly may modulate neurodegeneration and age-related changes in the brain.  We have been particularly interested in bacterial infections and diabetes as major regulators of biological processes, and are developing genetic and pharmacological agents to manipulate these pathways in Alzheimer’s disease.