The contents of eukaryotic cells are highly dynamic, yet organized spatially and temporally. This is achieved primarily by the microtubule cytoskeleton and associated transport machinery, whose fundamental nature is highlighted by the many neurological diseases caused by mutations in them. In the Reck-Peterson lab we are striving to understand how this system works at molecular, cellular, and organismal scales. We are also investigating how defects in microtubule-based transport are linked to Parkinson's Disease and how viruses can subvert the transport machinery.