My NIH-funded research focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease and other protein misfolding neurodegenerative disorders including prion diseases and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is similar to Alzheimer's disease. I am actively investigating the role of environmental neurotoxic chemicals and other neurotoxic stress on the pathogenesis of Parkinson's and other neurodegenerative diseases. I have also made several fundamental advances in signal transduction mechanisms associated with neuronal cell death processes, and I have several patents and am pursuing translational drug discovery for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.