Dr. Hynes is a leading expert on the development of dopaminergic neurons, critical nerve cells whose degeneration causes the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. Research by Dr. Hynes and her colleagues has shown how these cells can be induced to grow from stem cells in the laboratory.  Her ongoing studies are aimed at development of new treatments for Parkinson’s disease, including neuron transplantation. Recently, she made the unexpected finding of differential expression of mRNA components in different cells, revealing an additional level of complexity in gene expression underlying neuron development and function.