(CIT): The molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegeneration in human disorders like Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease remain mysterious, in part because genetic analysis in patients and vertebrate models is laborious. Disease models in simpler organisms, like drosophila, harness the power of genetics to define cellular pathways underlying the specific destruction of postmitotic neurons in neurodegenerative disorders. In Dr. Feany's laboratory they have created fruit fly models of several human diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. For more information, visit Mel Feany, NIH Neuroscience Seminar Series.