CWS Identified Internships

Emory Center for Neurodegenerative Disease

At the Emory Center for Neurodegenerative Disease, research cuts across traditional academic departments and scientific disciplines to focus on mechanisms of neurodegeneration, neuroprotection and brain repair.

 

Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center

The Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), is funded by the National Institute on Aging. Through this grant, Georgia and surrounding states are provided with outstanding clinical, research, and educational programs on normal age related memory loss, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. 

Neurodegeneration is a common theme of many nervous system diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, head trauma, epilepsy and stroke. These disorders are devastating and expensive, with annual costs currently exceeding several hundred billion dollars in the United States alone, and current treatments are inadequate. Adding to the urgency of the problem is the fact that the incidence of these age-related disorders is increasing rapidly as population demographics change.

 

Quick Stats:

• Emory has a large and outstanding faculty who perform cutting edge neurodegenerative disease research
• Research spans from genetic and environmental factors that cause disease, to development of new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, to clinical testing of new treatments
• Emory Healthcare has a large and outstanding clinical faculty who provide comprehensive care, education and support for affected individuals and their families

Internship Descriptions:

There are several possible internship opportunities including both basic science research as well as clinically relevant projects.

 

Laboratory based “bench” projects:

We are offering two basic science internship opportunities that will provide opportunities for hand’s on work on the practical aspects of basic science research using state-of-the-art techniques and technology.

1.      Investigating the role of fibril assembly and neurotoxicity in Alzheimer’s Disease (offered by Drs. David Lynn and Zixu Mao)

2.      Brain abnormalities in movement disorders (offered by Dr. Ellen Hess)

o       This internship is focused on basic science research into the mechanisms underlying disease processes in movement disorders, particularly dystonia.

·        Animal modeling. Genetically engineered mice are used to determine how mutations found in man cause dystonia.  The intern will learn molecular biology  (PCR, Southern analysis, etc)as it is applied to generating and characterizing mouse models of human neurological disorders.   

·        Drug discovery. Translating basic science into useable information for patients is the challenge facing all basic scientists.  The applicant will learn how to develop and design drug studies in mouse models to identify lead compounds for drug development in humans.

 

Clinical related investigations and practices:

We are offering three more clinically relevant internship opportunities.  The first two may involve some direct patient interaction and will involve data analysis of patient data.  The third internship described below will focus on educating the public on Alzheimer’s disease and on recruitment of community members into research studies.  

1.      Cognitive Rehabilitation in patients with mild cognitive impairment (offered by Dr. Benjamin Hampstead) 

We are investigating the use of cognitive rehabilitation in patients with mild cognitive impairment, which is generally believed to be the preclinical phase of Alzheimer’s disease. Our research focuses specifically on the use of explicit memory training and assesses changes in memory functioning using both behavior and fMRI. Interns will have direct patient contact and will be responsible for teaching the memory rehabilitation techniques. Interns will also receive exposure to fMRI procedures including paradigm development and data collection, analysis, and interpretation. Interns will discuss their research progress during weekly laboratory meetings, which also provide a time for relevant research literature to be reviewed and discussed.

 

2.      Analysis of sleep phenotypes in Alzheimer’s disease (offered by Dr. Donald Bliwise) 

This project involves secondary data analyses of questionnaire data derived from Alzheimer’s patients and their family members regarding sleep habits and sleep disorders. Alzheimer’s patients often have profound difficulties with sleep, ranging from day/night sleep reversal with excessive sleeping during the day to vivid dreaming experiences at night. Our AD Center has been routinely collecting data on such events in the hope of eventually correlating such behavioral phenotypes to polymorphisms in neurotransmitter systems involving serotonin and norepinephrine in AD patients. The first phase of this project is to systematically collect such behavioral data and examine factors that may influence the expression of the phenotype (e.g., medication, stage of dementia)

 

3.  Cognitive Rehabilitation in patients with mild cognitive impairment.  (Offered by Dr. Melanie Greenaway)

We are investigating the use of a memory/notebook rehabilitation technique in individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (often thought to be the precursor to Alzheimer’s disease).  Interns will participate in recruitment, database management, and assessment of subjects with MCI and their care partners.  Interns will receive exposure to neuropsychological assessment, cognitive rehabilitation, clinical trial implementation, and database management.  Interns would also have the opportunity to participate in additional neuropsychological based studies into cognitive changes in the geriatric population, including Alzheimer’s disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment, or Parkinson’s disease.

 

4.      Opportunities to contribute toward community-based AD Education efforts and to facilitate recruitment of research participants for AD-related research projects and clinical trials (offered by the Emory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Education Core)

This internship will provide an opportunity to contribute towards efforts aimed at community education on AD and towards recruiting research subjects for ongoing studies.  Responsibilities may include:

 

a.       Development of brochures, newsletters & website material

b.   Video creation/editing

c.      Development of lecture material for an education program

d.      Development of a research registry targeted at recruiting African American research participants

e.       Organizing and advertising community educational events and assisting with data collection for audience evaluations

 

 

Ideal Internship Qualification:

Logistical: Current Juniors and sophomores For laboratory projects Excellent computer skills Strong quantitative skills Sound critical thinking abilities Ability to organize and manage multiple tasks and duties simultaneously Prior laboratory experience desirable, but not mandatory   For clinical projects Strong computer skills Strong written communication skills Ability to organize and manage multiple tasks and duties simultaneously Excellent interpersonal skills Sound critical thinking abilities Dreamweaver and/or HTML experience desirable but not necessary

Personality: For laboratory projects Strong interest in basic science research Exposure to or interest in learning statistical analysis Strong interest in basic science research, particularly neuroscience   For clinical projects Interest in education Interest in learning Interest in sleep, neurobehavior, cognitive psychology and/or statistical analyses OR Exposure to or interest in cognitive psychology and/or neuropsychology and statistical analysis OR Strong interest in dementias and the geriatric population, interest in neuropsychology and therapeutic interventions, interest in working both face to face with subjects as well as doing behind the scenes computer data basing work. OR Interest in community education efforts and establishing best practices for research participation recruitment