Shawn Ferguson, PhD, is originally from Canada where he studied biochemistry and physiology at the University of Ottawa. He performed doctoral studies in neuroscience at Vanderbilt University followed by postdoctoral training in cell biology at Yale University. He is currently an associate professor of cell biology and of neuroscience at Yale. Dr. Ferguson’s research has broadly contributed to the understanding of fundamental mechanisms whereby lysosome function is matched to changes in cellular demand. His longstanding experience in the investigation of membrane traffic and signaling in the endocytic pathway with specific emphasis on neuronal cell biology provides a strong foundation for dissecting endolysosomal pathway dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease (PD). He is particularly interested in mechanisms of LRRK2 activation at lysosomes and the consequences of LRRK2 dysregulation on lysosome functions in neurons and microglia. His ongoing research seeks to address these questions and integrate the results to advance understanding of PD mechanisms.