Jonathan’s visit

Jonatan Stoier, student of Dr. Ulrik Gether (Chair, Department of Pharmacology and Neurogenetics, University of Copenhagen), paid the Khoshbouei Lab at UF a visit in March of 2020. Over the preceding year, Dr. Gether had expressed interest in the Khoshbouei Lab’s research into peripheral myeloid cell changes in the context of Parkinson’s disease, specifically Adithya Gopinath’s project which investigates expression of dopaminergic proteins Dopamine Transporter (DAT) and Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH).

During Jonatan’s 1 month visit at the Khoshbouei lab, he worked closely with Dr. Khoshbouei and Adithya to thoroughly learn the procedures and processes needed to study DAT and TH expression in human immune cells by flow cytometry, and also pioneered additional techniques which will allow live cell flow cytometry in DAT-expressing human monocytes. On returning to Copenhagen, Jonatan has arranged to perform flow cytometry studies using the Khoshbouei Lab methods, to study a group of individuals in Denmark carrying a gene mutation predisposing them to Parkinson’s-like signs and symptoms. In time, Jonatan will reproduce both the findings of the Khoshbouei lab and also use this novel technique developed in the Khoshbouei lab to expand the scope of research in the Gether Lab in Copenhagen.