Congratulations to the UCI Institute for Clinical & Translational Science (ICTS) Summer Medical Student Alzheimer and Aging Research Training (SMAART) Awardees Supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Mio Jang
Identifying cerebrovascular imaging parameters as preclinical biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease
Mentor: Bernard Choi, PhD

Cerebral blood flow is shown to decline before noticeable cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), highlighting the critical need to determine cerebrovascular biomarkers concerning the disease progression.  Additionally, the scarcity of three-dimensional (3D) vasculature from AD models has limited whole-brain neurovascular dysfunction analysis.  This project aims to validate imaging biomarkers using 3D cerebrovasculature, which will help enhance our understanding of neurovascular changes associated with early AD pathogenesis.

Milind Vasudev
Electrochemical therapy on Duroc swine and treatment in diabetic dermatopathology
Mentor: Brian Wong, MD, PhD

This research project investigates the potential of electrochemical therapy (ECT) for the treatment of cutaneous markers of diabetic pathology.  ECT is a needle electrode-based technology that alters the cellular matrix of targeted tissues, particularly collagen, by producing acid and base reactions via hydrolyzed water through an electrical potential.  The project aims to examine the effects of ECT on collagen structure in hypertrophic scars induced via burns, which serve as a proxy for altered wound healing in diabetic pathology.

Click here to visit the UCI ICTS website to learn more.