Research/Areas of Interest
My research involves peripheral influences on aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) with a particular interest on the gut microbiome and its primary metabolites short chain fatty acids (SCFAs). In AD, the composition of the gut microbiome as well as its production of SCFAs is significantly altered and has been implicated in promoting the progression of AD pathology. While manipulating the production and/or circulating levels of SCFAs has shown various beneficial effects regarding neuroinflammation, beta amyloid, and cognitive phenotypes in AD mouse models, the mechanism and full extent of their effects have yet to be fully understood. Additionally, the influences of genetic background on the effects of altered microbiome composition and subsequent SCFA production has yet to be investigated. I plan to use in vitro and in vivo techniques with the genetically diverse AD-BXD mouse population to better understand how SCFAs can influence various components of AD pathology as well as general age-related decline.
Thesis Advisor: Catherine Kaczorowski
Education
BS, Integrative Neuroscience, SUNY at Binghamton, Binghamton, NY
MS, Neuroscience, University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT