Nainika R

- Research Program Mentor

Project ideas

Identifying Cellular Phenotypes Using CellProfiler

In this project, we will learn to process and analyze images from human brain tissue with fluorescent labeling of different cell type markers from different sets of patients that I have generated in my lab. You will learn to use the CellProfiler software to identify different cell types and capture various features (e.g. size, morphology, expression of different proteins). Next, you will compare these features across different datasets (e.g. control/healthy or male/female patients) to identify phenotypic differences. This project will provide you with valuable skills in image analysis and offer the opportunity to identify specific phenotypes in different patient populations.

Exploring different models of Alzheimer's disease

In order to understand the etiology of Alzheimer's disease and discover potential treatments, we need strong disease models in which we can test our hypotheses. There are a range of models in the field, such as mouse models or patient stem cell-based models, with a variety of environmental and genetic perturbations used. In this project, you will delve into the literature and explore the variety of models in use, and detail their benefits and drawbacks. This project will provide you with an in-depth understanding of how different models can capture different aspects of pathophysiology, and identify their strengths and weaknesses.