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 genetic and molecular drivers of neuronal dysfunction and neurodegeneration in TDP-43 proteinopathies, which are characterized by pathological aggregates of the protein TDP-43 in disease affected cells of the central nervous system. Primary TDP-43 proteinopathies include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobar dementia (FTLD-TDP), and TDP-43 can also be present as a co-morbid secondary pathology in diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.  We use a variety of model systems including (the awesome power of) C. elegans, mammalian cultured cells and mice, as well as donated human postmortem tissue, 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.