sonal kumar

Sonal Kumar

sonal kumar

Research/Areas of Interest

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a complex genetic disease spanning various pathophysiological manifestations in human populations. Using the laboratory mouse as a preclinical model for studying AD has been challenging due to a combination of factors, including a lack of adequate genetic diversity, an inability to map all aspects of disease pathology simultaneously and accurately, and the absence of a reliable representation of late onset AD in currently studied strains. My research contributes to the work done by the MARMO-AD consortium, which aims to develop the common marmoset, Callithrix jacchus, as a near-clinical model of AD through a longitudinal approach that will ideally better represent not just early, but also late onset AD. As an outbred non-human primate model, the marmoset more faithfully recapitulates the aging-related cognitive decline seen in the human population, accounting for heterogeneity in genetic backgrounds that the mouse model fails to capture. Using a multiomics approach across marmoset and human datasets, I hope to connect the underlying genetics driving specific molecular, functional, and behavioral phenotypes to further our understanding of the etiology and progression of AD in humans.

Education

BS, Biotechnology, St. Xavier's College, Ahmedabad, India
MS, Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology (IBAB), Bangalore, India