PhD Candidate from Chester Springs Uses Unique Method to Tackle Movement Disorders 

By

Lucas Restrepo
Image via UMass Chan Medical School News. 
Lucas Restrepo.

PhD candidate Lucas Restrepo, a Chester Springs native, is targeting involuntary movement disorders through this unique method, write Kaylee Pugliese and Hallie Leo for the UMass Chan Medical School News

Restrepo is using mutating fruit fly genes to learn more about the process of mitophagy, where the cell breaks down and removes toxic mitochondria. 

The Downingtown East graduate wanted to play football in college and become a physical therapist. Instead, he majored in biology at The Catholic University of America. He also joined a lab there and was soon introduced to biomedical research wonders. 

“I’ve always liked visual science,” said Restrepo. 

As part of the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences’ Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, he uses fruit fly genetic techniques combined with high-resolution microscopy to study mitophagy. 

“A lot of diseases can be recapitulated in flies; for example, Parkinson’s,” said Restrepo. “When we knock out genes mutated in Parkinson’s disease, we see phenotypes like motor discoordination and tremors manifest in the fruit fly. It’s a powerful model for understanding genetic changes and studying multiple genes at once, which helps in understanding how these genes point toward pathologies.” 

Read more about Lucas Restrepo in the UMass Chan Medical School News

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