Cynthia A
- Research Program Mentor
PhD at University of Pittsburgh
Expertise
Neuroscience-pain research, neurodegenerative diseases, gene therapy, cellular and molecular biology
Bio
I've been in the biology field for almost 10 years now. I continue to enjoy and be amazed by all the mechanisms present within our body that help guide our behavior. During my PhD, I focused on comparing cellular and molecular profiles of spinal neurons involved in pain across species. Now, I have a strong interest toward treating neurodegenerative diseases by using various techniques. I love reading and hiking, or just being outdoors!Project ideas
Chronic pain and how it manifests
Chronic pain, which is pain that persists for longer than three months affects patients' quality of life. Pain is a symptom of several diseases such as arthritis, migraine and diabetes. How does the pain originate across these diseases? Who is more susceptible and how can we study its onset in order to be able to treat it?
Biomarkers for Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's Disease (PD) is typically diagnosed when patients display motor problems such as slowness in movement, rigidity or tremor. However, these motor symptoms may arise only in later stage PD. What are some biomarkers doctors can look for or early diagnostic tests that can be performed to detect PD at an earlier time point?