Balmus Laboratory

Introduction

The Balmus Laboratory studies the DNA damage response in mature neurons. These long-lived cells face a particular challenge: protecting their genetic material over a lifetime.

We explore how neurons respond to endogenous genotoxic stress, how these responses change in disease, and which repair pathways influence neuronal survival.

Our approach combines CRISPR–Cas9 screening, human stem-cell-derived neuronal models and mouse models. We study Huntington’s disease, ALS and frontotemporal dementia, ataxia telangiectasia, and Parkinson’s disease. We also work on the naked mole-rat to investigate brain ageing and the mechanisms that may support long-term neuronal resilience.