Rose Ana Summers

I grew up on a wildflower meadow in the Rocky Mountains above Boulder, Colorado. My first involvement in research was as an assistant in the Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab where I helped to identify a novel anti-inflammatory therapy for shift workers. This inspired me to intern in the Harvard Macklis Lab as an Amgen scholar, where I worked with cortical and spinal organoids while modeling the formation of human neural circuitry during development. The culmination of these unique experiences allowed me to develop a passion for both neuroimmunology and the utilization of organoid models, leading me to join the CU Center for Alzheimer’s and Cognition and conduct my independent research project on the generation of microglia-containing cerebral organoids as models of Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s disease. As an OxCam scholar, I will be collaborating with Dr. Reich at the NINDS and Dr. Rowitch at the Wellcome-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute on a project that will utilize organoids and other stem cell-based models to illuminate the cellular mechanisms driving Multiple Sclerosis pathology and aid in the identification of therapeutic targets. My overarching goal is to become a physician-scientist and improve the quality and length of life for patients with neurological disorders through my contributions to both research and clinical care.