Chao Peng

Chao is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He completed his postdoctoral training under the mentorship of Dr. Virginia Lee and Dr. John Trojanowski at the University of Pennsylvania. His research focuses on identifying the genetic and environmental risk factors that modulate the transmission of pathological alpha-synuclein and tau in neurodegenerative diseases. By developing cutting-edge disease models and leveraging advanced genetic, multi-omic, structural, and high-throughput screening methodologies, his lab investigates the molecular mechanisms regulating protein propagation and explores the conformational diversity of pathological aggregates in the diseased brain. Ultimately, his work aims to design novel therapeutic strategies to block the transmission of these pathological proteins.