Todd Lamitina, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Cell Biology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Education

Graduate School: PhD, Emory University, Atlanta, Ga.

Postdoctoral School: Physiology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn.

Research Interests

Ageing is the number one risk factor for most human diseases, including cancer and many neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. It is now clear that the ageing process is under genetic regulation and that manipulation of ageing genes can slow the onset and reduce the severity of age-related disease pathophysiology. Most ageing genes also regulate the reponse to environmental stress, suggesting an important relationship between ageing and stress.

Work in the Lamitina Lab utilizes the model organism C. elegans to define mechanisms of age-related neurodegenerative diseases, such as ALS. The lab also investigates how stress responses are coordinated at the organismal level. The accumulation of conformationally aberrant proteins is a focus of both research projects. Through our work, we hope to understand if 'natural' mechanisms for opposing protein misfolding (i.e. stress responses) might be leveraged for the treatment of these currently incurable neurological diseases.

View Dr. Lamitina's full list of publications from PubMed.

Location

University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh PA, 15213
412-692-9437