Dora Kovacs, PhD

Dr. Kovacs’ laboratory focuses on the molecular events underlying neurodegeneration in aging, and particularly in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The laboratory studies the cellular pathways regulating the generation of the b-amyloid protein, accumulated both in the aging and AD brain, and the factors involved in the subsequent neurodegenerative process associated with this peptide.

Current areas of study include: 1) The biological and pathological functions of the presenilins: mutations in the presenilin genes cause early-onset forms of familial AD and play pivotal roles in the production of the b-amyloid protein. 2) The role of cholesterol in b-amyloid protein production: several lines of evidence suggest that cholesterol is a major risk factor in the pathology of AD. The ultimate goal of this project is to understand the role of lipids in the post-translational modification and processing of the amyloid precursor protein in AD.

Kovacs' Laboratory Website