University of California-San Francisco · BiologyNeurodegeneration and Autophagy Lab
Eric J Huang · San Francisco, California
Research Focus
Dr. Eric J Huang’s lab at the University of California, San Francisco, focuses on understanding how defects in autophagy and endolysosomal trafficking contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, especially Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD). By studying the roles of microglia and their interactions with neurons, the lab investigates how these cellular processes may lead to neuronal loss and disease progression. The research combines molecular biology techniques with advanced proteomics to uncover new pathways that could lead to therapeutic targets for neurodegeneration.
autophagymicroglial toxicityFrontotemporal Dementiasecretory autophagyneurodegenerationendolysosomal traffickingextracellular vesiclesprotein homeostasislipid metabolismneuroglial interactions
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how endolysosomal defects affect secretory autophagy in microglia.
AIM 02Examine the impact of secretory autophagy on lipid metabolism and microglial toxicity.
AIM 03Determine the effects of genetic loss of autophagy on neurodegeneration in models of Frontotemporal Dementia.
AIM 04Utilize proteomics to identify changes in protein trafficking associated with lysosome inhibition.
AIM 05Explore the cellular mechanisms of glial activation in neurodegenerative disease.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturequantitative proteomicsRNA sequencingimmunofluorescence microscopyco-culture techniquesWestern blottingexocytosis assaysCRISPR gene editinganimal modelslipid extraction