Page 4 - 2022-2023 Impact Report

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"I study the development of the nervous system using fruit flies as a model organism. Fruit fly development displays similar mechanisms and even many of the same genes seen in the development of the human nervous system, only on a smaller scale. Understanding these processes in flies can provide insight into the mechanisms that may fail in illnesses of
the central nervous system.
I use microscopy and various genetic techniques to visualize and manipulate stem cells in the fly. In doing so, we can better understand how these stem cells create the diverse array of cell types in the nervous system required for the complex behaviors displayed by all animals.
My current work is focused on further characterizing the activity of genes relevant to nervous system development. Learning how these genes function normally in a small animal model allows us to bring this information into larger model animals with the goal of creating screens, treatments, and even finding cures for human nervous system illnesses.
The ARCS Award has been a great help in providing
a community of caring individuals who believe in this mission. While the financial relief is an obvious benefit for a young graduate student, it is the continued contact with the sponsors and administration of ARCS Oregon that has had the most impact on my own journey. This sentiment is commonly echoed by my fellow scholars."
Nathan Anderson Department of Biology UO
The Anonymous/UO Endowment Scholar