David S
- Research Program Mentor
PhD candidate at University of Pennsylvania (UPenn)
Expertise
Biology, Neuroscience, Neurodegenerative Disease, Regeneration, Molecular Biology, Organelle Trafficking (Autophagy and Lysosomes)
Bio
My name is David Sidibe, and I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Cell and Molecular Biology program at the University of Pennsylvania. I am passionate about understanding the mechanisms that cause neurodegeneration in the hopes of developing treatments to stave off disease. A main aspect of neurodegeneration in the buildup of proteins that aggregate and disrupt cellular function, eventually leading to cell death. I am looking into how different cell types in the brain may have varying abilities to remove these toxic aggregates as a contributing factor to neurodegeneration. In my downtime I enjoy watching sports, going on walks, gardening/tending to my many plants, and even making my own scented candles! I am also an avid follower of multiple weather/climate blogs, a passion I have had ever since I was a child. As a fun fact, when I was younger I had the opportunity to live outside the U.S., including in Bangladesh and Egypt, where I got to see the pyramids many times!Project ideas
Mapping out the Connectome
The brain is a highway of connected networks composed of billions of cells that can make trillions of connections (called synapses) that allow brains to function! Understanding how different regions of the brain are connected and communicate with each other is crucial to understanding how the brain works. To uncover how the brain works, scientists have attempted to form a "map" of ALL these connections in the brain, known as the "connectome". Students could look into how scientists are trying to form the connectome, how much progress has been made, and what the future holds for this daunting endeavor!
Rethinking the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases
Neurodegenerative diseases affect millions of people worldwide. While billions of dollars have been spent trying to find treatments for the disease, very few drugs and therapies have had a meaningful impact on slowing down disease progression. This is often because by the time someone is diagnosed with a disease, it has progressed too far for a treatment to have a substantial effect. Some recent approaches to treatment have turned to looking for early indications of the disease (termed "biomarkers") that can occur before the onset of symptoms. By diagnosing disease and beginning treatment before symptoms arise, these treatments could have a more profound effect in slowing down the progression of disease. Students could review the recent progress being made on identifying biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, and either write a paper or even record a podcast on their findings!