Melody Nguyen
Program: Unspecified
Current advisor:
Undergraduate university: Johns Hopkins University
Research summary
My project aims to characterize inflammatory phenotypes of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) using a murine model. An aortic aneurysm is a local dilatation of the aorta due to weakening of the aortic wall. Although the disease is mostly asymptomatic, the high risk of artery rupture leads to the disease high mortality rate. Aortic aneurysms are difficult to diagnose in an early stage, and there are currently no effective drugs to treat it. Current studies have discovered that the inflammatory response and hyperactivation of various proteases contribute to abdominal aortic aneurysms, but the specific mechanisms are still poorly understood. During my rotation, I established a a foundation for future projects that identify molecular targets in metabolic and immune pathways which will help with early screening and monitoring of abdominal aortic aneurysms.
Graduate publications