Dr. Jeitner is interested in proteinaceous aggregation in neurodegenerative disorders. For example, during bleeding, proteins aggregate, forming clots that stem blood loss. Transglutaminases, which facilitate this aggregation, catalyze the formation of chemical bonds between aggregating proteins. The aberrant activation of these enzymes can contribute to pathological states, such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. According to the Braak Hypothesis—a major hypothesis for how Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases start—aggregated proteins, traveling from the periphery to the brain, cause neuronal losses.