HQP Zone
 

Can you briefly explain your current research project, including its main focus and objectives? 
 

The top non-modifiable risk factors for late-onset sporadic Alzheimer’s disease are advanced age, APOEe4 genotype, and female sex – yet how these factors interact remains poorly understood. My research aims to fill this gap by examining how sex-specific factors, such as pregnancy and menopause, influence Alzheimer’s disease endophenotypes across APOE genotypes. Currently, I am investigating how different menopause models and hormone therapies alter the progression of cognitive and neuroimmune outcomes across APOE genotypes in a mouse model. This research this work will help inform individualized, evidence-based menopausal hormone therapy strategies to improve prevention approaches for females at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
 

What initially drew you to this field of research? 
 

I have always been fascinated by how sex shapes health outcomes, and I was particularly curious about why females are disproportionately affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s disease. I quickly discovered that this question has been vastly understudied, and that women’s health has historically been underrepresented in research. This fueled me to contribute to the field and address these knowledge gaps in meaningful ways. Throughout my Ph.D., I was driven by the opportunity to study factors unique to females – like reproductive history – and understand their impact on brain aging and disease risk. I am grateful to continue this path as a Postdoctoral Fellow, now exploring another female-specific factor: menopause and the role of menopausal hormone therapy.
 

What is one key takeaway or message you want people to remember from your research? 
 

Sex differences in health and disease can take many forms, and their influence is not always obvious. It’s essential to meaningfully and rigorously investigate both sex and within-sex factors to fully understand how diseases develop, progress, and respond to treatment. My research highlights this by showing that a previous pregnancy can have paradoxical effects on key biomarkers of brain health depending on genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease in a rat model. Embracing the heterogeneity within each sex and understanding these complex interactions will help transform how we develop diagnostic criteria, preventative strategies, and treatments – moving us closer to truly personalized, precision medicine.