Currently Dr. Selenica lab’s research is focused on molecular pathways and therapeutic approaches toward neurodegenerative disease; especially Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias. They have established an impressive tool kit of molecular biology tool, cellular models, antibodies etc to study the impact of post-translational modifications involved in tau and TDP-43 proteinopathies, with application to AD, LATE and FTD. Specifically, they have identified eIF5A hypusination as a unique pathway altering TDP-43 cytoplasmic accumulation and aggregation, and stress granule formation (Journal of Biochimica et Biophysica Acta – Molecular Basis of Disease). Efforts are also underway to unravel the role of eIF5AhypK50 in cytoplasmic sequestration and accumulation of TDP-43 via interactions with
nucleocytoplasmic shuttling machinery. Her laboratory is immersed in a highly interdisciplinary and comprehensive faculty team and has strong support from faculty across SBCoA and UK. Their laboratory has technical expertise including but not limited to cell culture, histopathology, biochemistry, proteomics analysis, molecular and cellular biology, animal models, small animal surgeries, behavior, etc.