Organelle Communication
in Aging and Disease

Organelles are not static, isolated structures within cells. Rather, they are dynamic, and form a highly elaborate, interconnected network with each other. We are interested in understanding how organelles are functionally connected within cells, and how these pathways of communication break down during times of stress. Current work in the lab is focused on untangling the crosstalk between mitochondria and lysosomes, two organelles that play major roles in metabolism and quality control, and whose interlinked functional decline underlies aging and numerous diseases. Working in both yeast and mammals, we have begun to elucidate the mechanism(s) linking the function of these organelles, and we hope the results of these studies will open new avenues by which the decline in the function of mitochondria and lysosomes drive diseases such as neurodegeneration, cancer, diabetes, and lysosomal storage disorders.