Northwestern University · PhysiologySurmeier Neuroscience Lab
Dalton James Surmeier · Evanston, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Dalton Surmeier's lab at Northwestern University focuses on understanding the mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease (PD) and developing new therapeutic strategies. The research aims to dissect the roles of specific neurons in the brain that are involved in the disease, particularly how they relate to motor symptoms and side effects of standard treatments. By employing advanced genetic tools and rodent models, the lab seeks to uncover insights that could lead to improved therapies for PD patients.
Parkinson's Diseasedopaminergic signalingcholinergic interneuronsL-DOPA induced dyskinesianeural circuitsmouse modelelectrophysiology
Research Aims
4AIM 01Characterize the roles of cholinergic interneurons in Parkinson's disease.
AIM 02Investigate the mechanisms of dopamine neuron degeneration in PD.
AIM 03Explore alternative therapies to alleviate L-DOPA induced dyskinesia.
AIM 04Develop a better understanding of how neural circuits change in PD.
Skills the Lab Values
electrophysiologyoptogeneticsmouse modelsimmunohistochemistrybehavioral assaysmolecular biology techniquesdata analysislaser scanning microscopy
Output against the department
Publications426top 8% of dept.24th of 286
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations49ktop 3% of dept.9th of 286
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.