Researcher Q&A: Harald Sontheimer, PhD, Targets Memory Loss in Alzheimer's
After 30 years, Harald Sontheimer, PhD, is as excited about his research as when be began.
"Discovering how things work never gets old," says Sontheimer, chair of neuroscience at UVA School of Medicine. "That's particularly true when it involves the human brain."
Specifically, researchers in the Sontheimer lab study ways to slow memory loss in diseases like Alzheimer's by reducing inflammation in the brain.
Their most promising target is an enzyme that triggers the breakdown of perineuronal nets that coat nerve cells. Inhibiting this enzyme may reduce the inflammation that contributes to memory loss.
Watch Sontheimer talk about his research and read his answers to our questions below.
Harald Sontheimer, PhD, understanding the human brain, the most fascinating organ in our body
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