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Spotlight on Simmons

Students Help Unlock Secrets of Alzheimer's

At Simmons, students don't need to be in graduate school to partake in groundbreaking scientific research, or even to present findings at national scientific meetings. For example, undergraduate students in Dr. D. Bruce Gray's biology class work side-by-side with him to conduct experiments and laboratory research to investigate the causes of Alzheimer's disease, a neuro-degenerative disorder affecting nearly 1 in 10 individuals over age 65.

Simmons Biology Professor Dr. D. Bruce Gray looks on as senior biochemistry major Marcy Keddy (left) and senior psychobiology major Basia Szul perform Alzheimer's disease research. They are measuring the neurotransmitter release of nerve cells exposed to beta amyloid proteins.

Gray and his students are studying brain cells in the laboratory to see how damage occurs, even before people start to show symptoms of the disease. Through quality experiments and complex research procedures, they are examining the role that peptides (small proteins found in the brain) play in neural cell damage, which is often found in cases of progressive dementia.

Students from Gray's research team occasionally even present their findings at meetings of scientific organizations - an opportunity more commonly granted to scientists, post-doctoral students, and Ph.D. candidates.  That close work with talented young undergraduates and nurturing of their abilities has paid off:  in the last two years, seven of Gray's research students have gone on to neuroscience research positions or graduate school.

In September, Gray received the Dean's Award for Excellence in Advising and Working with Students - a testament to his dedication to student research and his work to find a cure for this devastating disease.

Since 2001, Gray has received approximately $100,000 from the Dana Foundation for his research program, including funding to train students for research in neurodegenerative diseases. Just this fall, he received a $30,000 grant from the foundation, which supports biomedical advances in neuroscience and immunology in the U. S. and Europe.