Dr. Mehrdad Shamloo's laboratory aims to better understand normal and pathological brain function so that they can contribute to the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches for neurologic disorders such as stroke, Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and autism. The lab has focused their efforts on a subset of genes/proteins involved in neuroprotective or neurodegenerative pathways, which they have shown to be regulated in the diseased brain.

Dr. Shamloo’s efforts and research are currently directed towards the neurodegenerative pathways responsible for Selective Neuronal Vulnerability of sensitive brain nuclei in the aforementioned disorders. Through these investigations, his aim is to understand the processes leading to the functional and behavioral malfunction in these neurological disorders, and to subsequently develop novel therapeutics to treat them. Long term, Dr. Shamloo seeks to accelerate the translation of experimental discoveries to novel therapeutic approaches, and to ultimately improve the quality of life for patients with brain disorders.