CGPH01 - Human neural stem cell models to understand neurogenesis and neurodegeneration

Overview

Neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease continue to impact the quality of life of a significant number of Australians, yet they remain untreatable. If we focus on how human neural stem cells behave normally and compare them to similar cells from Alzheimer’s patients, we will likely gain a better understanding of what has gone wrong and potentially how to stop it or fix it.

Research activities

The student will shadow our research team and learn cell biology, molecular genetics and molecular biology experiments. They will be trained on PCR and hopefully perform some experiments themselves. In addition they will observe and learn about our primary and other human cell cultures including human neural stem cells and how we examine features of these cells by fluorescent and phase microscopy.

Outcomes

The student should increase their knowledge of our research methods and protocols and be able to describe and perform them with accuracy and precision. In addition, they will be part of a team that explores human models of neurogenesis and be able to understand the different processes involved and some of the key markers used to distinguish these cells.

Skills and experience

An interest in genetics, cell biology and neurogenesis.

Scholarships

You may be eligible to apply for a research scholarship.

Explore our research scholarships

Keywords

• human neural stem cells
• extracellular matrix
• neurodegeneration
• neurogenesis

Contact

Contact the supervisor for more information.