UCLA scientists have developed a new method, called “voxelation,” to rapidly track how genes express proteins in the human brain. Using this method, they were able to track how thousands of genes misfire proteins in a mouse model of Parkinson’s disease.

“This approach identifies which genes play a role in abnormal brain function and where they are located,” said UCLA pharmacologist Desmond Smith. “We can use this information to narrow down the brain regions linked to genetic disorders and pinpoint the genes responsible for causing them.”

UCLA scientists image how Parkinson’s genes misfire in mice