Talk by Anne Schaefer, MD, PhD

"Neurodegeneration is one of the major causes of age-related cognitive decline. While the etiology of neurodegenerative processes may differ from being genetically predetermined to environmentally induced, the common path of the disease frequently involves the loss of neuronal-cell type specific identity. We have identified epigenetic mechanisms that are critical for the maintenance of neuron identity in the adult brain. In my presentation, I will focus on the epigenetic control of feed-forward transcriptional networks that, once activated, can drive progressive age-related neurodegeneration. I will also discuss the significance of our findings in the context of neurodegenerative diseases such as Huntington’s disease and Spinocerebellar Ataxia."