Core B offers three different groups of services to Udall Center researchers. The first is the preparation and processing of animal brain tissues. We use special techniques like immunohistochemistry and microscopy to help Udall Center investigators understand how dopamine is affected in animals with Parkinson’s disease-like symptoms. We also create detailed maps of the trajectories made by recording electrodes in the brain and examine the expression of artificial proteins (such as light-sensitive proteins or markers) that are used in the Udall Center animal research projects. These services are critical, because they help researchers understand their experiments better and share their findings with others.
The Core also evaluates the emergence and development of parkinsonism in the MPTP-model of Parkinson’s disease, helping researchers using these animals (project 2 and 3) to standardize their approaches. Finally, the Core provides expert biostatistical expertise. Our statistician, Dr. Benjamin Risk, helps researchers with the statistical aspects of their projects. This support is crucial for making sure the results are reliable and can be repeated.
By offering these services, the Core takes some of the workload off the researchers, making their work more efficient. Researchers benefit from using well-established methods for looking at brain structures and behaviors. The biostatistical support also makes sure that the results are solid and can be trusted across all the projects.