Welcome to the Liachko lab website

We are a research group affiliated with the Division of Gerontology in the University of Washington Department of Medicine and located at the VA Medical Center in Seattle.  

We study the underlying genetic and molecular causes of neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration in TDP-43 proteinopathies, which are characterized by pathological aggregates of the protein TDP-43. These devastating neurodegenerative diseases are typically rapidly progressing and invariably fatal.  These include primary TDP-43 proteinopathies, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD-TDP), and diseases where TDP-43 can be present as a co-morbid secondary pathology, such as Alzheimer's disease.  We use a variety of model systems including (the awesome power of) C. elegans, mammalian cultured cells and mice to identify pathways that promote or protect against disease. 

Our long-term focus is to identify new therapeutic targets and strategies.  Interested in learning more?  Check out our Research page for a deeper dive into our research interests, or contact us.