University of Minnesota-Twin Cities · NeuroscienceThe Cognition and Decline Lab
Rocio Gomez-Pastor · Minneapolis, Minnesota
Research Focus
Dr. Rocio Gomez-Pastor's lab at the University of Minnesota focuses on understanding how cognitive decline occurs in Huntington's disease, a neurodegenerative condition that affects movement as well as cognition. The lab studies the molecular mechanisms behind synaptic dysfunction in the brain's striatum region, particularly how disruptions in certain proteins impact cognitive performance in early stages of the disease. Insights gained may help identify therapeutic targets that can improve the quality of life for those affected.
Huntington's diseasecognitive declinesynaptic dysfunctionmolecular mechanismsneurobiologyneurodegeneration
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the mechanism responsible for the alteration of HSF1 DNA-binding in early Huntington's disease.
AIM 02Assess how HSF1 regulates the synaptoproteome of thalamo-striatal synapses.
AIM 03Evaluate the role of HSF1-mediated loss of thalamo-striatal synapses in cognitive deficits in Huntington's disease.
Skills the Lab Values
ChIP-seqRNA interference (RNAi)electrophysiologymouse modelsproteomicsmolecular cloningcell cultureimmunohistochemistryWestern blotting
Output against the department
Publications59bottom 14% of dept.574th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations2.3kbottom 14% of dept.575th of 671
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.