Angus Nairn, Ph.D.

Charles B. G. Murphy Professor of Psychiatry and Professor of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine

Under the direction of Professor Angus Nairn, researchers at Yale have begun a comprehensive University molecular analysis of the alterations in dopaminergic neurons in familial-linked Parkinson’s disease (about 5% of cases), to better understand disease mechanisms more broadly and to identify novel therapeutic targets.  Their studies use the power of a technique called BAC (bacterial artificial chromosomes) transgenics to “tag” key proteins and analyze their expression, modification and breakdown (e.g., ubiquitinization and phosphorylation) in neurons from the substantia nigra and nearby brain regions.  Their work represents a first step in the development of brain-region and cell-type targeted treatment for PD and other neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Nairn’s work represents a first step in the development of brain-region and cell-type targeted treatment for PD and other neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders.