Juan Botas

Juan Botas is a Professor at Baylor College of Medicine with joint appointments in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics and Molecular & Cellular Biology. His research focuses on neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Huntington's, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's diseases, using Drosophila and mice models to dissect molecular mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets.

Botas's lab specializes in high-throughput genetic screens, integrating robotic instrumentation with multi-omics datasets to uncover gene networks driving pathogenesis. Key themes include proteolysis impairment, neuronal compensatory mechanisms, and cross-species validation for drug discovery. Their work has identified critical modifiers like TRIM28 and NUAK1 for tau and huntingtin toxicity.

Recent publications highlight studies on glial gene regulation in Huntington's disease, APOE allele interactions in Alzheimer's, and lipid signaling pathways as therapeutic targets. The lab's interdisciplinary approach bridges computational analysis with in vivo models, emphasizing genome-scale screens and neuroprotective strategies.