Fundamentals of Neurodegeneration and Protein Misfolding Disorders

Dr. Beckerman has held teaching and research positions at the Weizmann Institute of Science, University of Rochester, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Tennessee, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and most recently as senior scientist in the Y-12 National Security Complex. He has broad experience in nuclear physics, self-organizing processes, complex dynamical systems science and biophysics. In his early work in nuclear physics, he carried out sub-barrier fusion measurements and developed statistical models for analysis of heavy-ion induced sub-barrier fusion and fission reactions. He has over 100 publications and has written two monographs on the subject. His subsequent work on self-organization and complex systems led to publication of the statistical-mechanics-based tome Adaptive Cooperative Systems (1997, Wiley). His more recent research interests resulted in publication of the basic textbook Molecular and Cellular Signaling (2005, Springer), the more-advanced tract Cellular Signaling in Health and Disease (2009, Springer) and, most recently, to the present textbook. He recently retired from Y-12 and has continued his research activities as a consultant and as an educator.

“This text concerns protein conformational aberrations and expression in the following diseases: Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, etc. … The book is primarily for physical chemists and researchers having an interest in the molecular mechanisms of neurological diseases.” (Joseph J. Grenier, Amazon.com, March, 2016)

• Introduction.- Protein Folding, Part I: Basic Principles.- Protein Folding, Part II: Energy Landscapes and Protein Dynamics.- Protein Misfolding and Aggregation.- Protein Quality Control, Part I: Molecular Chaperones and the Ubiquitin-Proteasome System.- Protein Quality Control, Part II: Autophagy and Aging.- Prion Diseases.- Alzheimer’s Disease.- Parkinson’s Disease.- Huntington’s Disease and other Unstable Repeat Disorders.- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.