CLARITY and STED shed light on neurodegenerative disorders

Investigating ways to identify the initial triggering events that give rise to the neurodegenerative disorder fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) will be the focus of this team. FXTAS may be one of the most common adult-onset, single-gene neurological diseases. Symptoms include tremors, instability, and difficulty with coordinated muscle movements like walking. Hagerman’s group plans to employ a novel genetic sequencing approach in combination with state-of-the-art microscopy imaging to better understand the mechanisms and pathways that lead to the disease, which could later serve as a starting point for therapeutic intervention.