Heather Tsong, a Genetics & Epigenetics and Neuroscience student advised by Andrea Stavoe, PhD, was awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant earlier this year to help support her research on neurodegeneration and brain aging. 

Understanding brain cell function — aspiring to delay neurodegeneration

Tsong’s current project focuses on a mechanism by which brain cells maintain their health throughout the lifespan, and how this function decreases with age, contributing to neurodegeneration. She aims to understand why the mechanism fails with age and how its function can be boosted to delay neurodegeneration.  

By supporting the research she does today, Tsong’s NIH grant will bring her one step closer to making a contribution tomorrow.   

When her time at the Graduate School is finished, Tsong plans to continue some form of research work.  

“Ultimately, I want my work to impact scientific research and human health.”  

Journey from cellular neuroscience to biomedical science

After developing an interest in cellular neuroscience during her undergrad studies, Tsong knew the Graduate School was the right fit due to the diversity of research being performed and the supportive student environment fostered by the faculty and staff. From her first interview weekend, Tsong knew that the Graduate School would give her the support she needed to perform important research and build her career. 

Tsong participated in three different research rotations before choosing her lab and worked closely with her Principal Investigator to design her current research project. For first-year students, she emphasizes the importance of figuring out your interests before making a decision. 

“Mentorship and environment are incredibly important when choosing which lab to join,” she says. 

Tsong also received the Dee S. and Patricia Osborne Endowed Scholarship in the Neurosciences earlier in the year, an award presented annually to recognize excellence in research. This is the second Osborne Scholarship that she has received since joining the Graduate School.