Shermali Gunawardena

PhD

Shermali Gunawardena.

Shermali Gunawardena

PhD

Shermali Gunawardena

PhD

Associate Professor
Director of Admissions for PhD and MS Program

Research Interests

Axonal transport and neurodegenerative disease

Education

  • PhD, University of Arizona
  • Postdoctoral Research, University of California, San Diego

Research Summary

Within axons vital cargoes must be transported over great distances along microtubule tracks to maintain cell viability. In neuronal cells, many proteins function in sending and receiving messages, cell repair, and cell protection. My interest is to elucidate if degeneration of neurons in two neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease or Huntington’s/other polyQ diseases), is related to a defect in this long distance transport system and what mechanisms facilitate the normal transport of APP and huntingtin.

In the News

Selected Publications