[S-03] Symposium 03 Selective vulnerability of alpha-synuclein-related neurodegeneration -beyond proteinopathy and propagation-

[S-03-2] How does alpha-synuclein pathology spread and cause neuronal dysfunction in the brain?

^○Dalton J. Surmeier¹, Fanni Geibl¹, Martin Henrich¹, Ted Dawson², Wolfgang Oertel³ (1.Department of Physiology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, USA, 2.Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 3.Department of Neurology, Philipps University Marburg)

Dr. Surmeier is the Nathan Smith Davis Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology in the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL USA. He directs a research program focusing on molecular, cellular, and network mechanisms governing the basal ganglia in health and disease states. Using a combination of electrophysiological, optical, and genetic approaches in mouse models of disease, his group has made important contributions to our understanding of how dopamine and other neuromodulators shape intrinsic and synaptic mechanisms underlying basal ganglia function. His group also has pursued the mechanisms underlying selective neuronal vulnerability in Parkinson’s disease (PD). These studies have identified physiological determinants of mitochondrial oxidant stress contributing to PD pathogenesis, resulting in large scale clinical trials examining the potential disease-modifying effects of isradipine. In addition to his research program, Dr. Surmeier serves on advisory panels at the NIH and private foundations, in addition to the editorial boards of several scientific journals, including Movement Disorders, Neuron, and Science Advances.