Thinakaran Lab - Cell Biology of Alzheimer's Disease

As an undergraduate student, I worked on gene regulation and molecular signaling pathways in various gram-negative pathogenic bacteria where I gained an appreciation for basic molecular biology techniques. At this point, I was still considering medical school and decided to pursue a master’s degree. My master’s thesis was focused on the TWEAK cytokine and its role in skeletal muscle homeostasis, in response to catabolic and anabolic stimuli. Following my master’s degree, I worked as a technician on a project investigating the role of bacterial amyloid in neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS and ultimately decided that my passion lies in research. In the Thinakaran lab, I am investigating the role of amylin dyshomeostasis in mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.