Biography

Daryl Bosco received her Ph.D. (bio-organic chemistry) in 2003 from Brandeis University, where she used NMR spectroscopy to study enzyme dynamics. From 2003-2005, Dr. Bosco was a post-doctoral fellow in the lab of Jeffery W. Kelly at the Scripps Research Institute, where she studied the effect of oxidative cholesterol metabolites on the mis-folding of alpha-synuclein, a Parkinson's disease-associated protein. Prior to joining the faculty at UMMS in 2008, Dr. Bosco was an Instructor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and worked on various aspects of ALS in the Cecile B. Day lab directed by Dr. Robert H. Brown, Jr. at the Massachusetts General Hospital.

Research

Our lab is investigating the pathogenic mechanisms of ALS-associated proteins SOD1, FUS/TLS, profilin-1 and TDP-43.  ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder that targets motor neurons.  Motor neuron death culminates in paralysis and eventual death, usually 2-3 years after symptom onset.  To date, there is no cure or effective therapy for ALS.  Our ultimate goal is to translate our basic-research findings into therapies for this devastating disease.   We use a multidisciplinary approach involving biochemistry, cell biology (including iPS cell technology), biophysics and in vivo model systems for our investigations. See our lab webpage for more information on Research Projects: https://www.umassmed.edu/boscolab