URIs_MOMENTUM_Research_and_Innovation_Magazine_Fall_2024_Mel

INTERDISCIPLINARY NEUROSCIENCE PROGRAM

Sydney Bartman ’19 was an undergraduate and certified nursing assistant when she first became intrigued by Alzheimer’s disease. She noticed how differently the disease affected the patients in her care. “I thought, what’s causing the heterogeneity of this disease?” she recalls. The question led Bartman to pursue a doctorate in the University of Rhode Island (URI) Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program. She is now a graduate teaching assistant and researcher in the lab of Jaime Ross, URI assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences and Ryan research assistant professor of neuroscience, focused on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction—a disruption in cells’ energy supply—in Alzheimer’s disease and aging disorders. The lab also studies changes in gene expression in age-related diseases. “Aging is a complex process,” says Bartman. “We are trying to pinpoint how some of these key processes are part of aging and disease pathology.” Bartman, who received a Dean’s Fellowship for this academic year, presented her research at the annual Society for Neuroscience conference last fall. “I love the collaborative aspect of research,” she says. “It’s exciting to see how one project can offer insight to another project.” Although she isn’t sure yet whether her career will lead to academia or industry, she is driven by a passion for mentoring. “I love watching students become hooked on research,” she says. “I want my work to make an impact on me, and I want my work to have an impact on the lives of others.”

Written by NICOLE MARANHAS

ELIAN GONZALEZ SANCHEZ ’24 Master’s candidate

Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program

Growing up, Elian Sanchez ’24 dreamed of becoming a heart surgeon—until he watched the Netflix documentary series “The Mind Explained” during the COVID-19 lockdown. He suddenly found he couldn’t stop thinking about the brain. “I felt so strongly that I wanted to learn more,” he says. A standout student in biology and psychology at the Community College of Rhode Island, he transferred to the URI Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program for his junior year. This past spring, he joined the lab of Marin Manuel, assistant professor of biomedical and pharmaceutical sciences and Ryan research assistant professor of neuroscience, whose work has helped advance the study of motor neurons in the spinal cord. “I was really drawn to Dr. Manuel’s work and methods,” Sanchez says. “He is a passionate, kind, and an amazing professor.” As a researcher in the Manuel lab, Sanchez helps investigate whether disruptions in the development or function of neuromuscular junctions––the sites where motor neurons and muscle fibers communicate––contribute to motor deficits in cerebral palsy. The research could help identify

“Research resonates with my goal to make a difference, The more I learn about the brain and spinal cord, the more I want to know.” - Elian Gonzalez Sanchez “I think it is amazing to help find answers to explain things we didn’t know before,” he says. “The more I learn about the brain and spinal cord, the more I want to know.” potential drug targets for the disorder, a motivating factor for Sanchez. “Research resonates with my goal to make a difference,” he says. Sanchez began his master’s in molecular neuroscience at URI this fall, with plans to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D. program. Even with a goal to become a neurosurgeon, he is inspired to maintain a research career.

SYDNEY BARTMAN ’19 Doctoral candidate Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program

“I want my work to have an impact on the lives of others.” - Sydney Bartman

Page 16 | The University of Rhode Island { MOMENTUM: RESEARCH & INNOVATION }

FALL | 2024 Page 17