My lab is interested in understanding the molecular mechanisms leading to neuronal cell death in dementia and, in particular, the role of glucose metabolism in this process. Our brains consume 20% of our body’s energy, however, nerve cells can’t store energy or use fat as a fuel so they have to generate all their energy from sugar. The brain has complex molecular mechanisms to ensure a constant supply of sugar to nerve cells, but in people with dementia this system gradually breaks down as disease progresses.  

 

I investigate this question in Drosophila models of Alzheimer’s disease and Fronto Temporal Dementia. Fruit-flies make excellent models to study dementia as they have a well defined brain and don’t live very long, allowing us to study disease progression throughout their whole lifespan.