Dr. Diao, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cancer Biology has been awarded an NIH R01 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.  His five year grant, entitled "The role of VAMP2 in alpha-synuclein function and pathology," will study the underlying disease mechanisms of alpha-synuclein pathology to various neurological diseases including Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementia, which can lead to the development of a novel intervention therapy.