Dr. Unni’s research focuses on understanding the role of the protein alpha-synuclein in the mechanisms of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Multiple lines of evidence suggest that simply increasing levels of this protein by seemingly modest amounts can cause both genetic and idiopathic forms of PD. Dr. Unni uses transgenic models which over-express alpha-synuclein to study how abnormally high levels of this protein cause self-aggregation and neuronal dysfunction in the living brain, using advanced biochemical and in vivo multiphoton imaging techniques.