Laura P
- Research Program Mentor
PhD Doctor of Philosophy candidate
Expertise
Neuroscience, Neurodegenerative diseases, Psychology, Cancer biology, Cancer therapeutics, Cellular & Molecular Biology, Scientific communication
Project ideas
Finding a Better Approach to Treating Brain Cancer
Brain and nervous system cancers are the 10th leading cause of death with over 18,600 adults projected to die this year alone. Even with the current treatment options, the overall five-year survival for people with a central nervous system tumor is only 36%. In this project we can learn about: - The multiple different types of brain cancers and how/why their prognosis and survival rates differ - The challenges we face in treating brain cancer - The current standard of care treatment for patients with brain tumors - New therapeutics that are emerging and what aspects of the current standard of care could we improve on
Biomechanics of Concussions
Each year between 1.7 and 3.0 million sports or recreation related concussions occur. More strikingly 2 in 10 high school athletes that play contact sports will get a concussion, and 5 in 10 concussions go unreported or undetected. In this project we can learn: - The biomechanics underlying concussions - The timeline of effects within the brain following a concussion - The long lasting impact of a single mild traumatic brain injury - Ways which we can improve athlete’s knowledge of how to prevent a concussion and what to do and expect when recovering from a concussion