Home Department: Biology
Mentor: Andrea Goldstein-Piekarski (Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences - Sleep Medicine)

“APOE Status in Sleep Patterns and Response to Treatment”

Lauren is investigating the possible correlation between genetic markers associated with cognitive decline and the efficiency of insomnia treatments. She will analyze a large dataset obtained from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center using programming and statistical analysis. She will also collect data through physiological assessments and neuroimaging techniques, contributing to ongoing clinical efforts. By approaching this question from multiple perspectives, including sleep medicine, co-occurring psychiatric disorders, genotype, and brain imaging, the lab hopes to improve their understanding of the disease and formulate better treatments for each individual suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.