Schlossmacher Lab

Michael Schlossmacher profile picture

Contact Information

Michael Schlossmacher, MD, DABPN, FRCPC
613-562-5462

Administrative Assistant:
Nancy MacDonald
nmacdonald@toh.ca
613-562-5462

For those interested in a position in the laboratory, please contact:
Dr. Julianna Tomlinson
jtomlinson@ohri.ca

What We Do

Since 2000, I have pursued work as a physician-scientist focusing on Parkinson disease (PD), Lewy body dementia (DLB) and multiple system atrophy (MSA). Since opening my new laboratory at the OHRI in 2007, my team has focused on: (i) better modeling the pathogenesis of PD and DLB in mice; (ii) understanding the functions of 4 disease-linked genes (SNCA; GBA; LRRK2; Parkin); (iii) creating new tools, including animal models, platforms and antibodies; and (iv) exploring biological markers of PD, DLB and MSA.

Selected Publications

Li J, Mestre TA, Mollenhauer B, Frasier M, Tomlinson JJ, Trenkwalder C, Ramsay T, Manuel D, Schlossmacher MG. Evaluation of the PREDIGT score's performance in identifying newly diagnosed Parkinson's patients without motor examination. NPJ Parkinsons Dis. 2022 Jul 29;8(1):94. doi: 10.1038/s41531-022-00360-5. PMID: 35906250; PMCID: PMC9338052.

Schlossmacher MG, Graybiel A. Conversations with Dr. Oleh Hornykiewicz, Founding Father of the Dopamine Era in Parkinson’s: How Do You Wish to be Remembered? Mov Disord. 2020 Nov;35(11):1922-1932. doi: 10.1002/mds.28316. Epub 2020 Oct 14. PMID: 33053225; PMCID: PMC7756664.

Tokarew, Jacqueline M., et al. "Age-associated insolubility of parkin in human midbrain is linked to redox balance and sequestration of reactive dopamine metabolites." Acta neuropathologica 141.5. 2021; 725-754.

Oliveira, Luis, et al. "Alpha-synuclein research: defining strategic moves in the battle against Parkinson’s disease." npj Parkinson's Disease 7.1. 2021; 1-23.

Sircar, Esha, et al. "Neurodegeneration: Impact of S-nitrosylated Parkin, DJ-1 and PINK1 on the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease." Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 704. 2021; 108869.

Sanyal, Anwesha, et al. "Lysosome and inflammatory defects in GBA1-mutant astrocytes are normalized by LRRK2 inhibition." Movement Disorders 35.5 2020; 760-773.

Shutinoski B, et al. Lrrk2 alleles modulate inflammation during microbial infection of mice in a sex-dependent manner. Sci Transl Med. 2019 Sep 25;11(511). pii: eaas9292. doi: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aas9292.

Tomlinson JJ et al. Holocranohistochemistry enables the visualization of α-synuclein expression in the murine olfactory system and discovery of its systemic anti-microbial effects. J Neural Transm 2017; 124(6): 721-738

Schlossmacher MG et al. Modelling idiopathic Parkinson disease as a complex illness can inform incidence rate in healthy adults : the PREDIGT score. Eur J Neuroci. 2017; 45(1) :175-191

Cullen V* et al. Acid beta-glucosidase mutations linked to Gaucher disease, Parkinson's and Lewy body dementia dysregulate alpha-synuclein in vivo. Ann Neurol 2011;69:940-53 
*This paper was awarded the editor's ‘Annals of Neurology Prize' in 2012 

Hakimi M et al. Parkinson's-linked LRRK2 is expressed in immune cells and upregulated after the recognition of microbial structures. J Neural Transm 2011;118:795-808  

Mollenhauer B* et al. Cerebrospinal fluid values of alpha-synuclein and tau in patients presenting with parkinsonism. Lancet Neurol 2011;10:230-40 and Lancet Neurol 2011;10:681-3;
*See also the opinion piece published in: Lancet Neurol 2011;10(3):203-5

Meet the Schlossmacher Lab

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The Schlossmacher team unites a group of trainees, research staff and collaborators from diverse scientific interests and backgrounds - including neuroscience, biochemistry, immunology, virology, animal studies and pathology. This reflects our different approaches to studying and modelling Parkinson disease variants and related dementias.

Potential trainees, please send inquiries to: mschlossmacher@ohri.ca or jtomlinson@ohri.ca