Our Mission
In the Fitzpatrick Lab, we leverage the latest developments in cryo-electron microscopy with complementary biophysical techniques (proteomics, light-microscopy, microfluidics) to explore the molecular and structural basis of neurodegeneration. To this end, we determine the structure and behavior of amyloid fibrils, purified directly from postmortem brain tissue, that are implicated in a range of neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, we aim to understand the role of protein aggregation in vivo by visualizing the cellular changes that occur in response to the formation, clearance and spread of fibrillar inclusions using light-microscopy and cryo-electron tomography. We are in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and the lab is currently located on Columbia’s Manhattanville Campus, in the Jerome L. Greene Science Center.
We welcome applications from interested individuals to join the lab; please contact Anthony.Fitzpatrick@columbia.edu
Recent Publication
Cryo-EM structures of tau filaments from Alzheimer's disease.
News
Congratulations Christina Lee and Tamta Arakhamia!
Congratulations to our undergraduate research fellows, Christina Lee and Tamta Arakhamia, on successfully completing their academic semester's work on immunohistochemistry and expansion microscopy. Tamta and Christina used a novel expansion microscopy method developed by the Boyden Lab, to quantify Tau aggregates in AD human tissue.
Welcome Qian Yang & Rong Sun!
The Fitzpatrick Lab welcomes Qian Yang and Rong Sun as postdoctoral fellows. Qian joins us from the Jianhong Luo Lab, where she worked on neuronal dendritic development. Rong joins us from the Guoqiang Bi Lab, where he worked on excitatory and inhibitory synapses.They are both excited to pursue new projects at the Fitzpatrick Lab, and explore all that New York City has to offer.