Dr. Shanthini Sockanathan

Biography

Shanthini Sockanathan is a Professor in the Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration, specifically how the nervous system, composed of a diverse array of neurons and glia, develops and maintains its functional components. Sockanathan’s lab explores the processes of neuronal and glial differentiation and the physiological pathways that sustain neuron survival. With a particular interest in the molecular mechanisms contributing to sporadic neurodegenerative diseases affecting over 90% of cases, including Alzheimer’s Disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), she employs a variety of integrated approaches, utilizing both in vivo and in vitro models, alongside iPSC-derived neurons, imaging, and molecular techniques.

Research Interests