The team
Jacob Vogel (Principal Investigator, Medical Faculty), Laura Wisse (collaborator, Medical Faculty), Tomas Björklund (collaborator, Medical Faculty)
The idea
As people age, the brain quietly accumulates microscopic changes—tau tangles, Lewy bodies, and TDP-43 inclusions. These protein deposits are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and other neurodegenerative diseases, yet they also appear in normal ageing. Detecting them early is nearly impossible with current tools, as their levels remain below the threshold of standard biomarkers.
Postmortem studies reveal that the amygdala—a region central to emotion and memory—is among the first areas to show these changes. Intriguingly, different proteins cluster in distinct but overlapping subregions. Understanding why some areas are vulnerable while others remain resilient could unlock new strategies for prevention and treatment.
This project aims to create a spatial transcriptomic atlas of the human amygdala, linking molecular data to neuropathological patterns to identify molecular signatures associated with susceptibility or resilience to multiple age-related pathologies.
Why It Matters
This project will not only advance our understanding of ageing-related brain changes but also pave the way for new biomarkers and therapeutic targets, potentially transforming how neurodegenerative diseases are detected and managed and helping individuals age with better brain health.