Kuo-Fen Lee, Ph.D.

Research

My lab studies the genes and molecules that guide brain cell development. We have considerable expertise in producing mice to study the effects of specific genes on nervous system function. My lab focuses on how disruptions in development and maintenance of nerve cells and their supporting cells can contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, neuroendocrine diseases, such as anxiety, and neuromuscular diseases. Using gene “knock-out” technology to delete or alter the genes of mice models we observe the physiological effects. This may speed up by decades the discovery of how abnormalities occur in how brain cells communicate with each other. The ultimate goal of this work is to develop therapies to prevent brain cell death and treat disorders.