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we age and so we look for biomarkers of aging we can monitor.” Although Ross is trained as a neuroscientist, being at the College of Pharmacy inspired her to research toxic substances and how they affect brain health. Her lab recently examined the effects that microplastics, found in seawater and drinking water, can have on the brain. Working with mice, she found that with just three weeks of exposure, microplastics diffused throughout the body, crossing the blood-brain barrier, and causing confusion and erratic behavior. “The plastics just went everywhere,” she says. “We found that they dramatically affected the cognitive functioning and neuro-behavior of both young and old mice, but especially in older mice.” The RI-INBRE program has also supported the purchase of advanced lab equipment for spectrometry, DNA sequencing, fluorescent microscopy, biosensors, and other specialized tasks. Cho adds, “This is equipment individual faculty cannot afford to have in their lab. Our job is to

JAIME ROSS Assistant Professor, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences Ryan Research Assistant Professor of Neuroscience

"We're trying to understand the influence of exercise, diet, healthy sleep habits and other modifiable factors that help us stay healthy as we age and so we look for biomarkers of aging we can monitor." - Jaime Ross

LAUREN GASPAR Doctoral Candidate,

“We’ve supported 218 faculty and 802 projects,” he says. “More importantly, we’ve trained over 2,210 students, mostly undergraduates who represent the next generation of the biomedical workforce.” Among the researchers the program has supported is Jaime Ross, assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences and Ryan research assistant professor of neuroscience, who investigates the molecular mechanisms inside the brain that lead to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases. Ross explains, “We’re trying to understand the influence of exercise, diet, healthy sleep habits and other modifiable factors that help us stay healthy as

impacts biomedical capacity building in Rhode Island.” As program director, Cho oversees the distribution of funds to a network of nine institutions across the state, including URI, Bryant University, Brown University, Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island College, Community College of Rhode Island, Providence College, Roger Williams University, and Salve Regina University. Headquartered on URI’s Kingston Campus, the program provides faculty development support through research grants, the use of core facilities, and student training opportunities.

Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

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