Disease Research Areas

James Galvin, MD, MPH, always wanted to be a doctor. But it was his father's own battle with Parkinson's disease that convinced the New Jersey native to become a neurologist. Galvin's research at the Hope Center seeks better treatments for people with neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Read More >

The ability to remember word lists and other tests of episodic memory are commonly used to detect early signs of Alzheimer's disease. But Hope Center investigator James Galvin, MD, MPH, may have found a way of detecting the mental changes associated with Alzheimer's Disease years earlier. Read More >

Like humans with ALS, the new mouse engineered by Hope Center investigator Robert Baloh, MD, PhD, develops progressive paralysis; loses muscle mass and motor neurons, and eventually dies of the disorder. These similarities to human ALS make it an exceptional model for developing and testing new treatments for human ALS. Read More >

Jeffery Milbrandt, MD, Ph.D, will succeed interim head of Genetics Susan Dutcher, Ph.D., who has held the position since June 2006. In addition to being a Hope Center investigator, Milbrandt serves on the Hope Center's steering committee. Read More >

Neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease often disrupt sleep. New findings from the lab of David Holtzman, M.D., are some of the first indications that sleep loss could play a role in the genesis of such disorders. Holtzman is a Hope Center researcher and steering committee member. Read More >

Gregory Zipfel, M.D., was drawn to Washington University by the opportunity to both practice clincial medicine and conduct high level research. In this interview, Zipfel, a Hope Center researcher, talks about his background, accomplishments, and interests in and out of the lab. Read More >

Graduate fellow Alexis Webb, working with Hope Center researcher Erik Herzog, Ph.D. and others, has shown that individual cells keep time on their own - even when isolated from the body's biological clock. Read More >