Northwestern University · NeuroscienceMazzulli Lab
Joseph R Mazzulli · Evanston, Illinois
Research Focus
Professor Joseph R. Mazzulli's lab at Northwestern University focuses on understanding how the accumulation of a-synuclein, a protein involved in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, affects cellular functions. The lab investigates how a-synuclein aggregates disrupt lysosomal function and protein trafficking, aiming to find new treatments that restore these cellular processes. By using advanced cellular models and small molecules, the research aims to decipher the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and enhance lysosomal biogenesis to alleviate disease symptoms.
a-synucleinlysosomal functionneurodegenerationParkinson's diseasecellular proteostasisDementia with Lewy Bodiesprotein traffickinginduced pluripotent stem cellssmall molecule activatorsunfolded protein response
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate how a-synuclein aggregates disrupt protein folding and lysosomal function.
AIM 02Determine if triggering the unfolded protein response can restore lysosomal function in Parkinson's disease.
AIM 03Test novel small molecules that could enhance lysosomal biogenesis by activating SNARE proteins.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemouse modelsRNA sequencingWestern blotinduced pluripotent stem cell differentiationprotein extractionimmunofluorescencebiochemical assaysmolecular cloningdrug design
Output against the department
Publications69bottom 19% of dept.540th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations12ktop 34% of dept.226th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.