The major research interests of the Shen laboratory focus on elucidation of the pathogenic mechanisms of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. Specifically, a multidisciplinary approach is employed to investigate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying pathologic degeneration of specific neuronal populations in the adult central nervous system. Through the generation and analysis of a variety of mouse models carrying mutations in the disease genes, we have identified a number of early functional impairments that may trigger the pathogenic cascade leading to neurodegeneration.

The Shen laboratory is affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and is home to one of the nine National Institutes of Health Morris K. Udall Centers of Excellence for Parkinson’s Disease Research. Please visit the BWH Udall Center website for more information on the Center.