David G. Nicholls, Ph.D.
Professor of Mitochondria Physiology
Mitochondrial dysfunction and the life and death of cells
The Nicholls laboratory focuses (usually literally, with fluorescence imaging techniques) on the function and physiology of mitochondria in intact cells, with an emphasis on their roles in the life and death of stressed neurons and a new project seeking to understand the mechanism of insulin secretion and its failure in type one diabetes. Mitochondria are the key to the life and death of neurons in aging-related disease. This approach involves the development or exploitation of techniques to monitor mitochondrial bioenergenics in the cell with the same precision possible with isolated mitochondria. The laboratory is a world-leader in this area. The long-term goal is to apply this knowledge to an understanding of the involvement of mitochondria in neurodegenerative and age-related diseases.
