Our cells produce millions of new proteins every day. These long chains of amino acids must first fold correctly before they can perform their function. However, this does not always happen automatically: some proteins are more difficult to fold, and as we age, this process becomes increasingly prone to error. These misfolded proteins can clump together in areas such as the brain, contributing to conditions like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. This is why my research focuses on chaperones, which are the cell's first-responders. They guide proteins as they fold and attempt to repair any damage that occurs. In this way, they prevent harmful accumulations from forming. I study how these chaperone proteins work, and why they sometimes fail. If we understand where things go wrong, we can develop new strategies to reduce or even prevent the accumulation of clumped proteins. This will help us to understand the causes of brain disorders such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and how to treat them more effectively in the future