Our main goal is to understand the molecular and cellular substrates that regulate selective vulnerability of neurons to degeneration.

We use state-of-the-art single cell gene expression profiling in human brain tissues and the brains of animal models of neurodegeneration to test our hypotheses.

One of the recent advances in the Ginsberg lab is using single cell microdissection combined with RNA amplification and cDNA microarray technology to assess hundreds to thousands of genes from one cell or a population of homogeneous cells.
Fig. 1: Single cell microdissection of mouse granule cells

Fig. 2: Microdissection of human hippocampal and entorhinal neurons

Fig.3: Correlation of gene expression with antemortem cognitive measures
Fig. 4: Terminal Continuation (TC) RNA amplification methodology developed in the Ginsberg laboratory
Ginsberg Lab TC RNA Amplification Protocol