PhD Scholarship: Molecular and bioinformatic studies of Alzheimer's and MPS III disease-linked genes in Zebrafish
The Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation is proud to provide a supplementary scholarship to Ewan Gerken, who is undertaking a PhD on Sanfilippo and Alzheimer’s disease at The University of Adelaide under the guidance of Associate Professor Michael Lardelli.
Ewan’s project focuses on the molecular changes in Sanfilippo to better understand how the enzyme deficiency affects cells. As part of his PhD, Ewan will utilise a new zebrafish model created in the laboratory alongside a comparable zebrafish model of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.
Ewan will use the new Sanfilippo model to investigate key cellular pathways in the zebrafish brain. He will also analyse the behaviour of the zebrafish and how it changes over the natural course of the disease. Ultimately, Ewan’s results with the Sanfilippo zebrafish will be compared to those from fish with early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease—potentially identifying common molecular changes and new drug targets.
Ewan has previously been with A/Prof Michael Lardelli in a Sanfilippo Children’s Foundation-funded project to develop zebrafish models of Sanfilippo types A, B, and C and test their behaviour.
Project Summary
- Project title: Molecular and bioinformatic studies of Alzheimer's and MPS III disease-linked genes in Zebrafish
- Chief investigator: Ewan Gerken, The University of Adelaide. PhD project under the guidance of Assoc. Prof. Michael Lardelli (The University of Adelaide)
- Amount: $5,000
- Location: Adelaide, Australia
- Status: Active
