What has Dr. Schmahmann’s research uncovered so far?
Together with colleagues Dr. Schmahmann made the groundbreaking discovery that the cerebellum (the little brain), once thought only to coordinate movement, is essential also for modulating intellect and emotion – with implications for disabling conditions including schizophrenia and autism. His landmark collaborative studies of the connections and pathways of the brain have provided fundamental insights into the nervous system and diseases ranging from epilepsy to Alzheimer’s disease. Working with colleagues at Harvard and in the MGH Ataxia Unit, the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, the Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, and the Broad Institute, Dr. Schmahmann’s studies have potential to solve intractable problems of the biology of the neurodegenerative ataxias and related disorders.
