Dimitri Krainc, M.D.

Research Program Award (R35)
Image
photo of Dimitri Krainc
Institution
Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

Dr. Krainc’s research focuses on genetic modifiers in Parkinson’s Disease. His work aims to develop a platform to examine genetic modifiers of Parkinson’s disease in patient-derived neurons and glial cells. Although these glial cells typically offer neurons protection, his lab hypothesizes that they can become harmful during Parkinson’s Disease. He will utilize patient-derived dopaminergic neurons and co-cultures of stem cell-derived neurons, microglia, and astrocytes to examine the function of Parkinson’s-linked genes and the pathways that lead to dysfunction of midbrain dopaminergic neurons in this disease. He will also utilize novel technology to examine many genetic variants at the same time, in a pooled stem cell approach. His work will also exam inter- and intra-organellar dynamics in neurodegeneration.