The Laboratory of Neurobiology focuses on the mechanisms of acute and chronic axonal and neuronal degeneration and regeneration, aiming to contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders. We intensively study motor neuron diseases (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and hereditary motor neuropathies), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and stroke.
The laboratory for Neurobiology and Gene Therapy is committed to gain insight in the underlying pathology of Parkinson's Disease (PD) and more recently Multiple System Atrophy (MSA), on both the molecular and cellular level. We are specifically focussing on the proteins α-synuclein and LRRK2, two key players in sporadic and familial PD. The underlying idea is that better disease models and insights in the molecular pathogenesis are required ...
Major research questions focus on cell type vulnerability and single-cell heterogeneity, protein aggregation and proteopathic stress, synaptic function, as well as microglial activation and neuroimmunology.
https://bio.kuleuven.be/df/
We want to force a breakthrough in the cure of neuronal and neurodegenerative disorders. This requires a deep understanding of normal brain function and translation of this knowledge into a solid mechanistic understanding of disease mechanisms.
The Laboratory of Structural Neurobiology is interested in understanding the structural basis of ion channel function. Ion channels are integral membrane proteins that act as molecular switches of electrochemical signaling in the central nervous system. Our specific goal is to understand the structural determinants of ligand recognition, the mechanism of channel gating and ion selection and permeation. Our methodological approach is based on ...