Amy Shepherd
‘How iPads for mice can help us cure Alzheimers disease’
Research summary:
Traditional, maze-based mouse tests can't assess symptoms that Alzheimers patients have, and can't be performed more than once to assess if a treatment is working long term. Amy's research looks at creating a battery of tests in which mice show human-like symptoms on the same tests given to humans. Her research looks at using 'mice touchscreens' to test mice in a way that is disease-relevant to humans, and claims this is a key step in discovering a treatment for Alzheimers disease and other crippling brain diseases.
Bio:
Amy is a PhD student at the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, passionate about improving the way treatments for neurological diseases are tested and communicating her science all around the world. She studies Alzheimer's disease using specialised ‘iPads’ for mice with Dr Emma Burrows and Prof Anthony Hannan.