Dr Barry Boland

To develop disease modifying drugs for treating age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, we must identify and prevent the causative factors of their early pathogenesis. My research interest is focused on understanding how an excessive accumulation of intracellular metabolites (e.g. proteins, lipids, polysaccharrides and RNA) within the endosomal-autophagic-lysosomal (EAL) system, is a major contributing factor to neurodegenerative stress. Through translational research collaborations with clinicians, we aim to identify biomarkers of this specific pathology in patient biosamples, which can be used to develop future diagnostics and therapeutic treatments.

Specific Research Projects:
(i) Biomarker assays and remediation therapies for endosomal-autophagic-lysosomal dysfunction.
(ii) Relevance of storage diseases to Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson's disease.
(iii) Impact of age-related osmotic stress on neuronal catabolic flux.