• Date and time: December 14, 2017 from 11:00am-12:00 pm
  • Location: BiocomplexityInstitute, Conference Center
  • Speaker:  Leeanne McGurk, Ph.D.
    Postdoctoral Researcher
    University of Pennsylvania

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) are fatal neurodegenerative disorders that share clinical, pathological and genetic overlap. A key example is the RNA/DNA-binding proteinTDP-43, which forms phosphorylated aggregates in neurons and  glia in almost all cases of ALS and in 50% of FTD. We still do not understand why TDP-43 forms pathological aggregates indisease. If we can find out more about the biology and pathobiology of TDP-43 maybe we can step closer to identifying the pathways that may be of therapeutic potential. Today I will talk about how I use applied genetics of the fruit fly to uncover biological pathways that impact the disease process. I will focus on the post-translational modification poly (ADP-ribosylation), commonly known as PARylation, and will describe how the integration of the fly with mechanistic and human patient studies - can  provide biological insight and provide a platform for  potential therapeutic strategies.

Contact Anne Wailes for more information: awailes@vt.edu

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McGurk_VT SoN Faculty Recruitment Seminar Flyer_12.14.17 (1).pdf PARsingout age-related neurological disease
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