CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) is a method for regulating genes. Rather than editing genes, CRISPRi does not change the genetic code, and instead allows us to turn off specific genes in a cell.

At NIH's Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias, my team and I developed a version of CRISPRi that can shut off specific genes on-demand.

ALS and frontotemporal dementia are related fatal brain diseases: ALS slowly paralyzes patients by killing their motor neurons, and frontotemporal dementia disrupts speech, emotion, and impulse control.

I identified two possible mechanisms of cell death in ALS and frontotemporal dementia as part of my Honors thesis at the University of Michigan.

Alzheimer's disease is a lethal brain disease that gradually destroys your memory and your ability to think. It is the most common form of dementia and the seventh most common cause of death in the United States.