Discovering causes for nerve damage in Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and HIV-dementia

David T. Purtilo Distinguished Chair of Pathology and Microbiology and Director of the Center for Neurovirology and Neurodegenerative Disorders



Dr. Howard Gendelman, director of UNMC’s internationally recognized Neurosciences Center, has discovered that a common mechanism causes nerve damage in several very different brain disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and HIV-1-associated dementia. His research has lead to ground-breaking discoveries on how inflammation causes nerve cell damage and how drugs and vaccines can be used to reverse the damage.

“Inflammation is a key to understanding how neurodegenerative disorders occur and how they may someday be effectively treated or even eliminated,” Gendelman said.