Ziyaneh Ghaderpour TaleghaniBS, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, MI |
I am interested in understanding what rare neurological diseases can teach us about mechanisms of neuronal function and cognition. Under the guidance of Dr. Lindsey Goodman, I am studying the cargo shuttling importin Transportin 2 (Tnpo2) and its role in human health, particularly within the brain. TNPO2 disease is rare and characterized by various physical and neurological defects; because the mechanisms of this disease are not clear, there are few effective treatments available for patients. To understand how TNPO2 functions in health and disease, I am focused on characterizing variant proteins and their aberrant function in both Drosophila and human cell culture. My hope is that our findings can help patient families understand their disease, and that our work can be used by health professionals to provide more effective patient therapies. |
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