Awarded in 2021
Home Department: Materials Science & Engineering
Faculty Advisors: Sarah Heilshorn (Materials Science & Engineering) and Tony Wyss-Coray (Neurology & Neurological Sciences)

Research Title: A Novel Nonlinear Microscopy Platform for Cell-Specific Mapping of Lipid Accumulation in Alzheimer's Disease

Research Description: Microglia adopt several subtypes with distinct phenotypes and transcriptional states that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). By combining multiple novel imaging technologies based on nonlinear optical microscopy and RNAScope, this project seeks to map the metabolic and phagocytic function of these microglia, as well as their gene expression and spatial distribution throughout the brain of AD patients. Studies of microglia differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells will further provide a platform for investigating triggers that activate disease-associated microglia. Development of this unique imaging strategy will enhance our understanding of AD progression and provide a new impactful tool in neuroscience.