Libby Finnigan

• Bsc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences
• Is the loss of normal astroglial function implicated in cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease?

Confirmation of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is made by the microscopic examination of post-mortem brain tissue of which the amount and location of the toxic protein aggregates tau and amyloid-beta.  It is still unknown why some people have a fast conversion to AD, avoiding the mid cognitive impairment phase. One important factor in the progression of AD is astrocytes.  The job of reactive astrocytes is to repair and recruit other inflammatory cells to fight the underlying disease. However, reactive astrocytes release numerous inflammatory chemicals that lead to an increase in brain inflammation and have been linked to an exacerbation of AD.  Using post-mortem human brain tissue from donors, we aim to microscopically measure the amount of AD pathology as well as the amount of reactive astrocytes in many regions of the brain. This will tell us if the amount of AD pathology and reactive astrocytes are different between the two groups.

Funding source: Alzheimer’s Society Undergraduate Bursary

Supervisor: Dr Kirsty McAleese