Dr Poonam Thakur

After long days, failed experiments, and patient persistence, this year reminded us why we stay. The work found its voice—through publications, recognition, and shared wins. #grateful, #proud, and filled with hope as we step into the new year. #HappyNewYear2026 to all of you.

A One-Step Mouse Model of Parkinson’s Disease Combining rAAV-α-Synuclein and Preformed Fibrils of α-Synuclein Developing preclinical animal models that faithfully mimic the progressive nature of Parkinson’s disease (PD) is crucial for advancing mechanistic insights as well as therapeutic discovery. While reco...

Pleased to share our new publication in Bioprotocol, where we describe a detailed method for generating the progressive #mouse model of #Parkinson’s disease combining rAAV-α-synuclein and preformed fibrils of α-synuclein. We hope this serves as a useful resource. bio-protocol.org/en/bpdetail?....

Most interestingly, we also saw lipid droplet accumulation in the PD mouse midbrain and in macrophages from PD patients — pointing to shared lipid stress across tissues. Peripheral lipidomics offers a window into brain pathology and could guide lipid-based biomarkers & therapeutic strategies for PD

🔑 Key findings:

1. Peripheral lipidomic signatures reflect CNS pathology
2. Conserved dysregulation in sphingolipids, glycerophospholipids, and fatty acids
3. Elevated triacylglycerols & monoacylglycerols linked to lipid droplet biogenesis

We tackled this long-standing question using a cross-species lipidomics approach. We modeled PD in mice using α-synuclein fibril injections and analyzed lipid profiles from the midbrain and plasma, then validated findings in PD patient plasma.

Integrative lipidomics of brain and plasma uncovers sex-specific metabolic signatures in Parkinson′s disease Lipid dysregulation is increasingly recognized as a key feature of Parkinson′s disease (PD). A central unresolved question, however, is whether lipidomic signatures identified in accessible peripheral...

Our latest study explores how lipid dysregulation links the brain and periphery in #Parkinson’s disease (PD). #Lipid imbalance is emerging as a hallmark of PD—but do peripheral lipid changes truly mirror what happens in the brain?
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...

Recovery of the full in vivo firing range in post-lesion surviving DA SN neurons associated with Kv4.3-mediated pacemaker plasticity

Can neurons bounce back after damage? A new study in @elife.bsky.social reveals that surviving dopamine SN neurons can restore full firing flexibility—once thought lost—with Kv4.3-mediated changes. Happy to have contributed to this seminal work. elifesciences.org/articles/104...

Glycated Alpha-Synuclein Assemblies Cause Distinct Parkinson’s Disease Pathogenesis in Mice Alpha-synuclein (α-Syn) misfolding and aggregation are key drivers of Parkinson’s disease (PD) pathology. Mutations and certain post-translational modifications impact its aggregation propensity and p...

Excited to share our new paper in ACS Chemical Neuroscience. Through biophysical assays and in vivo studies, we show that glycation alters how α-synuclein drives pathology, leading to earlier symptom onset. This may help explain the higher PD risk in people with diabetes pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

Thrilled to kick off our collaboration with @kmcostalab.com, supported by an Impact Award from @pfresearchteam.bsky.social. We will uncover how striatal dopamine contributes to cognitive decline in early stages of #Parkinsonsdisease. Exciting times ahead!
@tvmiiser @bio_iisertvm

What a perfect capture of Sunday morning.

Grateful to @cureparkinsons.org.uk for this feature on #ResearchAppreciationDay & their continued support for our preclinical research program for #Parkinsons. Their commitment to advancing fundamental research that can inform future therapeutic strategies for PD is commendable. 🙏

Looking forward to hearing about your work, Janine. See you soon.

I will be attending the Synuclein2025 meeting at Cambridge, UK. Looking forward to meeting fellow scientists and soaking in the latest research. Drop a DM if you would like to catch up during the meeting.

We are looking for motivated post docs. Projects on Alzheimer’s and Synucleinopathy. New mouse models, combined lightsheet/15.2T MRI and high throughput cognitive testing using touchscreens. Perfect for a recent graduate in Neurosciences or related field. Come work with us in 🇨🇦 👊😀🧪 please share.

Proud of all the lab members who worked hard on this project. Also grateful to all the collaborators and funding agencies for their support for this work. I look forward to your feedback and discussions.

Chronic administration of PD180970 (c-Abl inhibitor):
✅ Rescued DA neurons from degeneration.
✅ Reduced p-syn accumulation in the substantia nigra.
✅ Significantly suppressed neuroinflammation.

✅ Progressive loss of dopaminergic (DA) neurons & striatal projections over 24 weeks.
✅ Time-dependent p-syn accumulation in the substantia nigra, spreading to striatum & cortex.
✅ Contralateral spread of α-synuclein pathology.
✅ Activation of astrocytes and microglia

1/n-Excited to share the first preprint of our lab. We created a robust mouse model of #PD by combining AAV6-α-synuclein overexpression with preformed fibrils injected into the substantia nigra. This model recapitulates key features of PD, enabling mechanistic & therapeutic studies.
Key findings:

Appreciate your kind words Abhilasha. Yes, the quality of science and talks was really amazing.

Thanks for sharing Shruti. Sounds like a good idea.

Hi fellow #educators, I will be teaching a #Physiology course to UGs for the first time. I hear many students find the subject boring or difficult. Please share some good resources, videos, animations, websites or any other tips that I can use to make the course engaging & useful. #teaching

Hi, I use mouse models to study Parkinson's disease. Please add me.

Congratulations to my Phd student @Santhosh_subs for winning the travel award to attend @IndAcadNeurosci annual meeting. #IAN24 at NIMHANS. #proudPI

Same here Marie. Looking forward to a thriving community here.

Home This logo was designed & created by the very talented BS-MS students in the lab- Deepthi Ann Thomas, Neha Kachapilly, Neha Hanna Daniel with inputs from the PI

Does this count sites.google.com/view/thakurl...

Hello #neuroscience community. I am an Assistant Professor at IISER-Thiruvananthapuram working on Parkinson's disease biology. Looking to connect with other researchers in the field of #neurodegeneration
#movementdisorders #parkinson #proteinaggregation #HiSciSky #AcademicSky

Hi, I’m Monica, and I’m adding people in the fields of pharmacology, physiology, and #neuroscience to the science feed!

If you’d like to be added, please respond to this post with proof that you’re in one of the fields mentioned above.

Afterward, your posts with a 🧪 emoji will show up on the feed.

Hello #bluesky community. I am an Assistant Professor working in the field of Parkinson's disease biology. Looking to connect with other researchers in the field of #neurodegeneration #movementdisorders #parkinson #proteinaggregation. #HiSciSky #AcademicSky