Assistant Professor, Molecular and Human Genetics Baylor College of Medicine Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children’s Hospital B.S. in Biology Universita Bari. Bari, Italy. 1999. Ph.D. in Genetics and Molecular Evolution Universita Bari. Bari, Italy. 1999. Post-Doctoral Fellowship Telethon Institute Of Genetics And Medicine. Naples, Italy. 2003-2009. |
My laboratory uses genetics, cell biology and systems biology approaches to study how the cell regulates its metabolic programs and how dysfunctions in these programs lead to neurological disease. Our ultimate goal is to translate our knowledge of these regulatory networks into therapeutic approaches for neurodegenerative disorders.
Using systems biology approaches, we discovered and characterized a gene network regulating lysosomal biogenesis and function. Lysosomes are cellular organelles central to degradation and recycling processes. Defects in genes participating in lysosomal function lead to the accumulation of toxic substances into the cell, which ultimately results in diseases collectively known as lysosomal storage