Neurodegenerative diseases afflict millions of people, with more affected each year as the aging population grows. Various forms of cognitive enrichment can lead to “cognitive reserve.” People with cognitive reserve have preserved cognitive abilities despite pathology in their brains. Our goal is to understand what is the molecular basis of this protection from degeneration, using single-nucleus RNA sequencing. We hope to find key genes, transcription factors, and pathways involved. By understanding the mechanisms behind this resilience, we could potentially provide treatment by stimulating these processes in individuals without cognitive reserve.

“I’ m participating in SuperUROP to delve deeper into my research project from last year. I hope to learn more about the molecular basis behind cognitive resilience, develop my computational skills, and gain experience with presenting my work. I’ m really looking forward to an exciting, interdisciplinary project.”