John Trojanowski

Research in Dr. Trojanowski's laboratory centers on two areas: 1) The molecular mechanisms of cell death, differentiation and proliferation in childhood brain tumors including medulloblastomas and related primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the CNS; 2) The molecular mechanisms underlying neuron dysfunction, degeneration and death in normal aging and in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. This research uses immunological, biochemical, molecular and morphological methods. The studies are performed on human CNS and PNS tissue samples (obtained postmortem and from surgery), human tumor cell lines (cultured and transplanted), and on transgenic mouse models of primitive neuroectodermal tumors and neurodegnerative diseases.

Grant funding from the NIH supports research into Cell Death and Differentiation in Medulloblastoma (Merit Award), regional brain function in schizophrenia, pathobiology of Lewy bodies, rodent model of Alzheimer’s disease, primitive neuroectodermal tumors of childhood, Hippocampal phosphatases in normal human aging, neurodegenerative disease of Guam, and cognitive impairments of the elderly.