The ASPIRE Path in Molecular Medicine

As I have just recently joined the lab of Dr. Heidi Hamm, my specific thesis proposal is still a work in progress, and as such, I intend to shape my hypotheses with the knowledge I will gain from APMM. The overall goals of my research are to investigate the role of a GPCR called protease activated receptor 4 (PAR4) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). I aim to explore PAR4 overexpression in multiple AD mouse models and investigate the role of PAR4 in AD pathophysiology, including blood brain barrier disruption, vascular pathology, and cognitive deficits. My experiments have involved only mouse tissue thus far; however, mouse models are limited in applicability to human disease, especially in complex, multifaceted conditions such as AD. To strengthen my thesis, I am interested in incorporating postmortem brain tissue from human AD patients. I also hope to use human subject data, such as biomarkers and cognitive measurements, for more clinical relevance. Through APMM, I aim to learn and witness the process of collecting these types of data. Overall, I hope to explore more opportunities for translational relevance in my thesis work and learn about methods for conducting clinical research through participation in APMM.