Principal Investigator: Dr. Alanna Watt
Location: McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Year Founded: 2011
What disease areas do you research?
- SCA6
- ARSACS
- Aging
- Basic questions about how the cerebellum functions.
What models and techniques do you use?
- Animal models of ataxia and aging
- Electrophysiology
- Imaging
- RNA sequencing
- Behavioural assays
Research Focus
What is your research about?
We are interested in how the cerebellum influences motor coordination in both the healthy brain and in models of disease and aging. By identifying changes in the cerebellum underlying ataxias and aging, we hope to discover new treatments for patients.
Why do you do this research?
We want to understand how the cerebellum works and use this knowledge to understand the changes in the cerebellum that lead to ataxia. As a lab, we are particularly interested in studying rare disorders like SCA6 and ARSACS.
These disorders have limited treatment options. We hope that by understanding how the cerebellum works differently in these disorders, we will be able to identify new treatments to help ataxia patients.
We are also interested in identifying common changes between different types of ataxia, to find out whether treatments identified in one form of ataxia might also help other ataxia patients.
Fun Lab Fact
We got together and made our own slippers to keep cozy in our office. If you look at the picture closely you might be able to spot some cells from the cerebellum on some of them!
Image courtesy of Anna Cook.
For More Information, check out the Watt Lab Website!
Written by The Watt Lab, Edited by Celeste Suart
