A novel biomaterial platform for patient-specific modelling of Alzheimer's Disease progression

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an irreversible brain disorder that effects approximately 750,000 Canadian families and is predicted to overtake cancer as the second leading cause of death by 2040. The cause of AD that is not inherited from previous generations is not well understood as the human brain differs greatly from the brains of animals that we use to study AD and the biologically inaccurate representation of AD in brain cells cultured in the lab using traditional approaches. To overcome these issues, researchers are turning to stem cells that can be transformed into brain tissue with the same genetic makeup as the original human source. By using AD patient stem cells, we can recreate what is happening in the human brain while AD is progressing. Unfortunately, we do not understand which type of cells are first affected by AD, or how the disease spreads from one cell to another cell in the brain. I will help to solve this problem and contribute to knowledge of how AD progresses by designing a cell culture environment similar to natural brain tissues where the spread of disease can be directly observed. This will allow a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie AD and may lead to improved treatments for those living with this devastating disease.