My research investigates how neurons maintain protein homeostasis and how disruptions in this process contribute to neurodegeneration. Neurons are particularly vulnerable to defects in protein quality control because they are long-lived and highly specialized. I focus on the SEL1L\u2013HRD1 complex, a core component of the endoplasmic reticulum\u2013associated degradation (ERAD) pathway, which eliminates misfolded proteins from the ER. Using neuron-specific conditional knockout mouse models, including Synapsin-Cre\u2013driven deletion of Sel1L, we demonstrated that neuronal ERAD is essential for motor coordination, behavioral regulation, and survival. Loss of SEL1L in neurons leads to partial activation of unfolded protein response pathways and cell-type\u2013specific transcriptional remodeling in the cortex and hippocampus. Our work reveals that ER protein quality control is a critical determinant of neural circuit stability rather than merely a passive housekeeping mechanism. By integrating mouse genetics, single-nucleus RNA sequencing, proteomics, imaging, and behavioral analyses, my research aims to define the molecular mechanisms linking ER proteostasis to neuronal function and to identify therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":1736316,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"otheraff":[],"phd-degree":[],"primary":[2335],"research-discipline":[2487,2513,2499,2515,2502],"research-opportunity":[],"training-grant":[],"class_list":["post-1736159","faculty-listing","type-faculty-listing","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","primary-molecular-physiology-and-biological-physics","research-discipline-biochemistry","research-discipline-biology","research-discipline-metabolism","research-discipline-molecular-and-cellular-physiology","research-discipline-neuroscience"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n