Adult research labs
Landsness Lab
Eric Landsness, MD, PhD
Stroke occurs due to a loss of blood flow to the brain, resulting in significant brain injury and disability. Currently, over 7 million people in the United States suffer from the long-term effects of stroke and is the third leading cause of death in the United States. Recovery from stroke requires plasticity to allow remapping, or “rewiring,” of disrupted neuronal circuits. Such mechanisms are influenced by sleep, which is an ideal target for therapeutic intervention due to its well-studied role in mediating plasticity. Our lab studies the connection between plasticity-dependent mechanisms for stroke recovery and sleep-dependent plasticity. Our goal is to develop new, innovative sleep-focused treatments and interventions to improve outcomes in patients with neurological disease.
Lee Lab
Jin-Moo Lee, MD, PhD
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with the accumulation of aggregated amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta) in senile plaques within the brain.
Li Lab
Mingjie Li, MD, PhD
The Li lab is developing new vectors for neurological applications. The goal of the Viral Vectors Core is to assist Washington University neuroscience researchers in the design and production of various kinds of vectors.
Lucey Lab
Brendan P. Lucey, MD, MSCI, FAASM
The Lucey lab investigates the relationship between sleep, aging and Alzheimer’s disease. Recent evidence suggests a role for sleep in Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis and/or as a marker for the onset and/or progression of Alzheimer’s disease that could be followed as an outcome measure in treatment trials. The major goal of our research is use sleep to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease.
Maccotta Lab
Luigi Maccotta, MD, PhD
The research studies of Luigi Maccotta, MD, PhD, are directed at using behavioral and functional neuroimaging techniques to help epilepsy patients overcome memory deficits since memory is one of the most adversely affected cognitive functions in epilepsy and the most reported by patients. He also is using behavioral and functional neuroimaging techniques to find a way of making early intervention in those with a first time seizure, as well as help to identify patterns of brain functional reorganization in early epilepsy (and ideally pre-clinical epilepsy) that predict future disease severity and can be used by physicians to guide early intervention and more aggressive therapy.
Miller Lab
Timothy Miller, MD, PhD
The Miller lab is dedicated to understanding neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and dementias in order to develop new, effective and safe treatments. Part of the Department of Neurology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, the Miller lab is headed by Timothy M. Miller, MD, PhD, the David Clayson Professor of Neurology. Miller is a national leader in translational neuroscience and new therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative diseases.
Morris Lab
John Carl Morris, MD
The focus of John Morris’ research and practice is Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological disorders associated with aging.
Musiek Lab
Erik S. Musiek, MD, PhD
The Musiek lab studies how circadian rhythms and the circadian clock system influence neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease. Research focuses on the molecular mechanisms by which the circadian clock regulates processes such as inflammation, oxidative stress and protein aggregation in cellular and animal models of Alzhiemer’s disease and other age-related neurodegenerative conditions.
Naismith Lab
Robert T. Naismith, MD
Robert T. Naismith, MD, is interested in improving the use of imaging modalities to better prognosticate and care for those with multiple sclerosis. The current focus is on MR Diffusion Tensor Imaging as a pathologic surrogate for axonal loss. This includes studies in the optic nerves, brain and spinal. The studies include measurements and outcomes that are important to patients and have relevance for implementing in clinical practice.
Perlmutter Lab
Joel S. Perlmutter, MD
Joel Perlmutter’s main research interests include neuroimaging, basal ganglia physiology and pharmacology, mechanisms of deep-brain stimulation, pathophysiology of dystonia, development of new agents to reduce nigrostriatal injury and electronic medical records systems.