Research
The mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction in the basal ganglia and cortex in neurodegenerative disorders
Appointments
- Chair, Interdepartmental Undergraduate Program
- Professor, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences
- Professor in Residence, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior
- Member, Center for Developmental Neurobiology (IDDRC)
- Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Studies
- Neuroengineering Training Program
- Neuroscience GPB Home Area
Biography
Our primary research interests are directed toward understanding the mechanisms underlying neuronal dysfunction in the basal ganglia and cortex in neurodegenerative disorders. The research consists of a multidisciplinary approach combining neurophysiological, morphological and molecular techniques. This research has evolved into several major projects:
- Examining the physiological changes in mutant mouse models of Huntington’s disease;
- Assessment of neuromodulation in the striatum as it pertains to Parkinson’s disease and assessment of new genetic mouse models of Parkinson’s disease;
- Examining cellular cortical electrophysiological and morphological abnormalities occurring in children suffering from intractable pediatric epilepsy.
Publications
- Levine, MS, Sen, S, Maier, EY, Mota, M, Won, M, Li, J et al.. Long-Lived Immunogenic Cell Death Induced by a Water-Soluble Redox Active Au(I) Bis-N-Heterocyclic Carbene. J Am Chem Soc. 2025; :. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5c03455. PubMed PMID:40570165 .
- Tomar, D, Steinbrueck, A, Sedgwick, AC, Levine, MS, Sessler, JL, Metzler-Nolte, N et al.. Glycosidase-activated prodrugs of a cytotoxic iron chelator for targeted cancer therapy. RSC Med Chem. 2025; :. doi: 10.1039/d5md00232j. PubMed PMID:40547260 PubMed Central PMC12177571.
- Lu, Y, Wang, FY, Levine, MS, Shi, HR, Wang, Y, Xiong, X et al.. Oxoisoaporphine Alkaloid Iridium(III) Derivative: An Immunogenic Cell Death Inducer That Engages the Autophagy-Dependent Regulator Cathepsin D. J Am Chem Soc. 2025;147 (18):15216-15228. doi: 10.1021/jacs.5c00255. PubMed PMID:40279467 .
- Parievsky, A, Moore, C, Kamdjou, T, Cepeda, C, Meshul, CK, Levine, MS et al.. Corrigendum to "Differential electrophysiological and morphological alterations of thalamostriatal and corticostriatal projections in the R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease" [Neurobiology of Disease 108 (2017) Pages 29-44]. Neurobiol Dis. 2025;208 :106860. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2025.106860. PubMed PMID:40074566 .
- Malvaez, M, Liang, A, Hall, BS, Giovanniello, JR, Paredes, N, Gonzalez, JY et al.. Striatal cell-type specific stability and reorganization underlying agency and habit. bioRxiv. 2025; :. doi: 10.1101/2025.01.26.634924. PubMed PMID:39896502 PubMed Central PMC11785256.