Chantal M. Ferguson, RNA Therapeutics Institute, University of Massachusetts Medical School

RNAi modulation of APOE as a potential therapeutic for Alzheimer Disease

Biography:

Chantal joined the Khvorova Lab in 2017 with an interest in developing new tools to understand and treat neurological disorders. Her thesis work aims to understand the spatial and functional relationship between brain and liver Apolipoprotein E and their impact on the Alzheimer disease pathogenesis. Using chemically modified siRNAs, Chantal aims to identify hyper functional siRNAs that modulate the expression of genes associated with the onset of Alzheimer disease (ApoE, Tau, SNCA) in rodent and large animal models. The ability to modulate the expression of disease related genes in the rodent and non-human primate brain allows us to investigate their role in brain function, aging, and disease in the context of a living brain, and provides opportunities for the development of novel therapeutics.