March 26 at 3 pm | The Gut Microbiome Impacts Motor Symptoms via Mitochondrial Dysfunction in a Parkinson's Disease Model
Register for the Neurocardiovascular Seminar Series
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 | 3 pm
Located at Huntington Medical Research Institutes
686 S. Fair Oaks Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91105
Sarkis K. Mazmanian, PhD
Luis and Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology & Merkin Institute Professor, California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Dr. Mazmanian will present:
THE GUT MICROBIOME IMPACTS MOTOR SYMPTOMS VIA MITOCHONDRIAL DYSFUNCTION IN A PARKINSON'S DISEASE MODEL
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Sarkis K. Mazmanian, Ph.D., is the Luis & Nelly Soux Professor of Microbiology and the Merkin Institute Professor at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles, where he also received his doctoral training in Microbiology and Immunology. He was a Helen Hay Whitney Fellow at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Mazmanian’s group investigates how the gut microbiome impacts development and function of the immune and nervous systems. He has served as Principal Investigator on 13 NIH-funded grants, and numerous foundation and industry awards. His laboratory pioneered the concept that researching the microbiome may lead to development of novel therapies for immunologic and neurological diseases. This work has led to the discovery and validation of drug candidates that are being developed as pharmaceuticals for the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). Dr. Mazmanian’s laboratory was the first to discover a link between the gut microbiome and motor symptoms and brain pathology in mouse models of PD. Dr. Mazmanian has won numerous awards including a Searle Scholarship, Young Investigator of the Year at Harvard Medical School, was named by Discover Magazine as one of the “Best Brains in Science under 40”, a “Life Science Superstar” by Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News, and received the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” award. Most importantly, Dr. Mazmanian has trained numerous students and fellows who have gone on to successful independent careers in science, medicine and industry.