The cellular landscape of brain aging and Alzheimer's disease through multiplexed ion beam imaging
Dr. Mrdjen’s work focuses on mapping the cells and proteins in the human brain during healthy brain aging, cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in order to understand their interactions in toxic niches of neurodegeneration. In order to achieve this, we need novel technologies that allow multiplexed analysis of archival human brain. Dr. Mrdjen is using a technology called multiplexed ion beam imaging (MIBI), which allows the simultaneous imaging of 40+ cellular and pathologic proteins in human FFPE brain tissue, to build these maps and to reveal the differences that promote healthy aging versus cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. She hopes this work will help shed light on the key cellular phenotypes and interactions within specific niches that need to be prevented from forming or reversed during aging to increase the human healthspan, allowing us to live longer and healthier lives.
