Target ALS Grant Award!
Program Director Al La Spada and other lead PIs Wei Li of UCI, along with Sebastian Michels and Karin Danzer from University of Ulm, Germany, and Clayton Morrison of TWIST Biosciences received a $1,000,000 grant from Target ALS, entitled “Liquid Biopsy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Using Epigenetic Signatures from Plasma Cell-Free DNA”.
Congratulations Luke, Fabiana, and La Spada lab alumni Pawel on your publication!
Bartelt LC, Switonski PM, Adamek G, Longo F, Carvalho J, Duvick LA, Jarrah SI, McLoughlin HS, Scoles DR, Pulst SM, Orr HT, Hull C, Lowe CB & La Spada AR. Dysregulation of zebrin-II cell subtypes in the cerebellum is a shared feature across polyglutamine ataxia mouse models and patients. Sci Transl Med 16, eadn5449 (2024).
This publication was highlighted by the NINDS Director Walter Koroshetz as one of the major advances of the year in ataxia research at the International Congress of Ataxia Research in London in Nov 2024, and will soon be the subject of an upcoming UCI Medical Research podcast
Congratulations Josh, Maile, and Julien on your new publication!
Macopson-Jones JG, Adams M, Philippe J & La Spada AR. Increased nuclear import characterizes aberrant nucleocytoplasmic transport in neurons from patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 7. Front Mol Neurosci 17, 1478110 (2024).
Congratulations Luke and La Spada lab alumni Pawel on your publication!
Bartelt LC, Fakhri M, Adamek G, Trybus M, Samelak-Czajka A, Jackowiak P, Fiszer A, Lowe CB, La Spada AR & Switonski PM. Antibody-assisted selective isolation of Purkinje cell nuclei from mouse cerebellar tissue. Cell Rep Methods, 100816 (2024).
Congratulations Dr. Bartelt!
Congratulations Dr. Deyell!
Congratulations Eric, Urmi, Solomon, and Craig your publication!
Arnold FJ, Putka AF, Raychaudhuri U, Hsu S, Bedlack RS, Bennett CL & La Spada AR. Revisiting Glutamate Excitotoxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Age-Related Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci 25 (2024).
2024 UROP Symposium Presentations
Congratulations to Diya Garg, Emma Kuok, Eunice Kim, Kean Ehsani and Neel Iyer for presenting their research at the Annual UROP Symposium.
2024 Excellence in Research Presentations
Congratulations to Diya Garg and Neel Iyer for presenting their research at the Annual Excellence in Research Symposium.
Congratulations Anastasia, Nhat, and La Spada lab alumni Ian, Helen, and Connie on your publication!
Matthews I, Birnbaum A, Gromova A, Huang AW, Liu K, Liu EA, Coutinho K, McGraw M, Patterson DC, Banks MT, Nobles AC, Nguyen N, Merrihew GE, Wang L, Baeuerle E, Fernandez E, Musi N, MacCoss MJ, Miranda HC, La Spada AR & Cortes CJ. Skeletal muscle TFEB signaling promotes central nervous system function and reduces neuroinflammation during aging and neurodegenerative disease. Cell Rep 42, 113436 (2023).
Congratulations Craig, Eric, and Cameron on your publication!
Bennett CL, Dastidar S, Arnold FJ, McKinstry SU, Stockford C, Freibaum BD, Sopher BL, Wu M, Seidner G, Joiner W, Taylor JP, West RJH & La Spada AR. Senataxin helicase, the causal gene defect in ALS4, is a significant modifier of C9orf72 ALS G4C2 and arginine-containing dipeptide repeat toxicity. Acta Neuropathol Commun 11, 164 (2023).
Jacob Deyell was awarded an NIH NRSA F30 fellowship on his research entitled “The Neuroprotective Role of PPAR-delta in Microglia”!
Congratulations Jacob!
Congratulations Anastasia, Byeong, and Nhat on your publication!
Gromova A, Cha B, Robinson EM, Strickland LM, Nguyen N, ElMallah MK, Cortes CJ & La Spada AR. X-linked SBMA model mice display relevant non-neurological phenotypes and their expression of mutant androgen receptor protein in motor neurons is not required for neuromuscular disease. Acta Neuropathol Commun 11, 90 (2023).
Eric Arnold was selected as a UC President’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Fellow to attend the 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (Physiology and Medicine)!
Congratulations Eric!
The 72nd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, #LINO23, dedicated to Physiology/Medicine, takes place from 25–30 June 2023. Around 40 Nobel Laureates have confirmed their participation so far. They will meet more than 600 Young Scientists from all over the world to engage in fruitful discussions and inspiring encounters.
Dr. La Spada has been appointed as the Jack W. Peltason Endowed Chair!
Congratulations!
The Jack W. Peltason Endowed Chair was established in 2007 in honor of Jack W. Peltason, a founding faculty member, former UCI chancellor and a former president of the University of California. This endowed chair reflects his contributions as a distinguished scholar of political science and national leader in higher education.
To be eligible for appointment to the Peltason chair, a professor must have demonstrated a commitment to work collaboratively and creatively with other academic disciplines, and be engaged in full time research and teaching activities on the UCI campus.
