Exploring the mechanisms underlying neurite degeneration and synapse loss

The research in the Ferreira laboratory is focused on the mechanisms underlying neurite degeneration and synapse loss in Alzheimer’s disease and related neurodegenerative disorders. We are interested in the relationship between beta-amyloid deposition and the progressive formation of dystrophic neurites and cell death in hippocampal neurons. Currently, we are assessing the role of tau in the mechanisms underlying neuronal degeneration. For our studies, we use culture and animal models of AD and a variety of cell and molecular biology techniques.