Research

Research Themes

The Biology of Aging

Aging remains the primary driver of nearly all chronic diseases. My doctoral research investigated the therapeutic potential of partial DRP1 knockout in the aging brain. This work followed two primary trajectories:

  1. Elucidating the mechanisms of DRP1-mediated lipid droplet accumulation.

  2. Investigating the role of DRP1 in inflammation-driven synaptic pruning.

Currently, my work focuses on identifying the “molecular inflection points”—the earliest detectable cellular shifts that transition a system from healthy aging to pathological aging.

Neurodegenerative Diseases & Systems Biology

A critical barrier to developing disease-modifying therapies is our “snapshot” understanding of pathophysiology; most data capture a single point in a disease’s natural history. To uncover the core biological underpinnings of neurodegeneration, I plan to utilize single-cell trajectory analysis and spatial omics to reconstruct the temporal and spatial landscapes of disease progression. By integrating these methods with cellular molecular recording techniques, I aim to determine exactly when and how healthy cells deviate toward a neurodegenerative path. The goal is to identify high-fidelity early diagnostic biomarkers and novel points for therapeutic intervention.

Gene-Environment Interactions (GxE)

Given that approximately 90% of major chronic diseases are sporadic rather than purely genetic, understanding the environmental influences on disease pathophysiology is critical, especially for public health interventions. I am exploring how the “exposome”—including pesticides, industrial chemicals, and heavy metals—interacts with genetic predispositions to accelerate neurodegenerative pathology. I am particularly interested in how these environmental stressors trigger the molecular shifts unique to specific diseases or groups of disorders, effectively bridging the gap between environmental exposures and clinical symptoms.