
SANDRA SOUKUP
Sandra Soukup
Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience
Laboratory of Molecular Mechanisms of Neurobiology in Health and Disease
The key question our lab wants to answer is how previously healthy neurons start to die. To tackle this question, we investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in neuronal proteostasis and for this we concentrate on macroautophagy, hereafter called autophagy and related processes. Our long-term goal is to decipher molecular mechanisms that trigger the onset of neurodegenerative disease and that are crucial to develop effective drugs that stop the progression of neurodegenerative disease such as Parkinson’s (PD), Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Beta-propeller protein-associated neurodegeneration (BPAN).
For this purpose, we are using genetic Drosophila disease models, human neuron cultures derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, immortalized neuronal progenitor cell lines in combination with confocal and advanced managing techniques, biochemical methods, and behavior assays.
Our investigations currently involved the following research axis:
1.) Uncovering the regulation and function of autophagy in brain health and disease
1A) To identify molecular mechanisms linking synaptic autophagy with neurotransmission.
1B) Uncovering the role of glial autophagy in neuronal survival and susceptibility.
2.) To decipher the role of extracellular vesicles in maintaining brain function
3) Generation of genetic disease models in Drosophila to uncover the link between altered autophagy and the onset of neurodegeneration.