The cerebellum is the part of the brain important for maintaining balance and coordinated movement. My lab is particularly interested in a group of inherited diseases (spinocerebellar ataxias) where patients lose the ability to coordinate their movement due to a change in the activity and then subsequent death of cells within the cerebellum. Using a variety of techniques we are investigating what cellular processes underlie the decline in cerebellar function and with this information attempting to develop therapeutic interventions to improve the physical wellbeing of individuals afflicted with SCA.