Investigators and Program Directors

Research Interests

The long term goal of our research is to reduce the burden of common human disorders by identifying, and modifying the effects of genes and environmental factors that affect disease risk, age at onset, rate of progression and response to treatment. The primary focus of our lab is neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Our group has also worked on autoimmune disorders (type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and autoimmune thyroid disease) and collaborates with other research groups on cancer, macular degeneration and arthritis. Our lab has made contributions in several complementary lines of investigations:

• Identification of genes that are associated with susceptibility, resistance and age at onset of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
• Identification of environmental factors that delay onset of Parkinson's disease.
• Analysis of gene-environment interaction.
• Discovery of novel genotype-specific effects of exposures associated with Parkinson's; key to personalized medicine for disease prevention.
• Discovery of genetic links between Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease.
• Studying genetic and environmental factors that promote healthy brain aging.
• Mathematical and statistical modeling and development of novel analytical methods for genetic analysis of complex disorders.

Contact Information

E-mail: hpayami@wadsworth.org.