Assistant Neurologist Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Physician Investigator (Cl) Center for Genomic Medicine, Mass General Research Institute

M.D.; Ph.D. Stanford University School of Medicine 1994

alzheimer disease; amyloid precursor protein secretases; autistic disorder; gene knock-in techniques; neurogenesis; neuronal plasticity; presenilin-1; presenilins; protein biosynthesis

Dr. Kelleher’s laboratory studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying cognition and cognitive disorders.

Current research projects are directed toward defining the molecular mechanisms regulating local protein synthesis in neurons, and understanding how these translational mechanisms contribute to normal cognition and the establishment and modification of synaptic connectivity in the mammalian brain.

Examination of the role of defective translational control in specific neuropsychiatric disorders is a closely related effort. In a complementary line of research, the laboratory is also investigating the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for neurodegenerative dementia, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease.

Due to the complexity of these problems, which span the gap from molecules to behavior, the laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach, including conditional and inducible genetic manipulations in mice, biochemical, molecular and cell biological analysis, slice electrophysiology and mouse behavior.