Research Labs
About Our Research Labs
Asakura Lab
The Asakura Lab's goals include attempting to understand the molecular mechanisms controlling muscle satellite cell (muscle stem cell) self-renewal and differentiation and to develop novel therapeutic methods for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This also involves the stem cell niche associated with vasculature in normal and regenerating skeletal muscle by muscle stem cells. We have recently begun exploration of stem cell-based therapy with induced Pluripotent Stem (iPS) cells toward muscular dystrophy model animals and heart infarction models.
Visit the Asakura Lab website to discover more.
Cha Lab
The Cha Lab specializes in vestibular disorders.
Visit the Cha Lab website to discover more.
Henry Lab
The Henrys lab research focuses on human seizures, epilepsies, and disorders of consciousness, with emphases on pathophysiology (particularly using brain imaging techniques), diagnosis (particularly using brain imaging and clinical electrophysiological techniques), and therapy (particularly with antiepileptic drugs, epilepsy surgery, and chronic neural electrical stimulation).
Visit the Henry Lab website to discover more.
Kennedy Lab
The focus of Kennedy Lab is developing new methods to objectively diagnose, quantify, and grade neuropathy of the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems. The clinical and research activity focuses on immunostaining and confocal microscopic imaging of cutaneous nerves, principally epidermal nerve fibers (ENFs) and sudomotor nerves in skin biopsies using fluorescent labeled antibodies to Protein Gene Product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) / Ubiquitin Carboxy Hydrolase like-1 (UCHL-1), type IV collagen, Ulex and several neuropeptides.
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Mantyh Lab
The Mantyh Lab Brings 21st century dementia research to all of Minnesota including underrepresented communities. Their current projects include examining the APOE gene's relationship with Alzheimer's disease in the American Indian population, the creation of a bio-repository for patients with neurodegenerative disease, and the creation of a patient registry for potential participants in the research of neurodegenerative disease.
Visit the Mantyh Lab website to discover more.
Pacak Lab
The Pacak laboratory investigates mechanisms that lead to mitochondrial dysfunction in a variety of disease settings using differentiated patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), mouse models, and large animal models. They also optimize and develop adeno-associated virus (AAV) mediated gene delivery systems to treat rare genetically inherited disorders.
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Ashe Lab
The Ashe Lab’s mission is to conduct cutting-edge translational Alzheimer's disease research. This involves determining the cause of Alzheimer’s disease, discovering molecular markers that allow for the early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, developing safe and affordable therapies that slow or prevent the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease, and delivering and promoting best care-practices for brain health and disease management.
Visit the Ashe Lab website to discover more.
Cooper Lab
The motor neurophysiology lab studies the extrapyramidal motor system in human subjects with an emphasis on disease states and neurosurgical therapies. The lab's current focus is on the basal ganglia (BG) and on Parkinson's disease (PD) with most of the work centered on deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Visit the Cooper Lab website to discover more.
Kang Lab
The Kang Lab studies the genetic basis of muscular dystrophy, along with muscle disease mechanisms related to the Notch signaling pathway, for over a decade. The Kang Lab also pursues other neurogenetics projects, including those involving DNA repair disorders.
Visit the Kang Lab website to discover more.
MacKinnon Lab
The mission of the Movement Disorders Laboratory is to gain a greater understanding of the mechanisms causing movement problems in people with neurological disorders and to translate this knowledge to the development of novel therapies and interventions to improve movement function, mobility, and quality of life.
Visit the MacKinnon Lab website to discover more.
Neuromuscular Pathology Lab
The University of Minnesota Neuromuscular Pathology Laboratory has provided services to clinicians and patients throughout the state for more than 70 years. All specimens are evaluated and results are interpreted by ABPN board-certified Neuromuscular Medicine subspecialists.
Visit the Neuromuscular Pathology Lab website to discover more.
S. Wang Lab
Their current studies include the effects of music-based intervention (MBI) on Neurodevelopment and pain response in preterm infants, and NEOLEV3 (a phase IIb dose escalation study of Levetiracetam in the treatment of neonatal seizures).
Visit the S. Wang Lab website to discover more.
Yuan Lab
The Yuan lab seeks to identify pathways and targets for the development of neurodegenerative disease therapeutics. They are particularly interested in the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease, and studies its early pathogenesis with a unique cell-surface sorting method for iPSCs.
Visit the Yuan Lab website to discover more.