By Dana Adcock ’22
For Duke faculty members Christina Williams and Alexandra Badea, their research on Alzheimer’s disease feels deeply personal.
“I have seen what Alzheimer’s is like in the family, so I think I’m particularly fortunate to be able to contribute to Alzheimer’s research,” said Badea, an associate professor in radiology and neurology. “Even if this is just pushing the field forwards by half of a millimeter, I’m very grateful for this chance.”
Williams, who is a professor of psychology and neuroscience, agreed. “I’ve seen the effects of Alzheimer’s on real people, people I love and care about,” she noted. “Being able to actually do something, and as Alex said, moving the field forward, is something that we all feel anxious to do. Any little contribution we can make is one that we think is valuable.”
Faculty Partnership
The two researchers’ combined expertise in neuroscience and radiology has paired well together throughout the years.
“Alex and I came together in large part because we’re both interested in memory and in Alzheimer’s disease,” said Williams. “Alex is particularly interested in using imaging technology to look at the sizes of different things in the brains of mice, and also levels of activity and connectivity of brain circuits. She looks at the circuit and system level, whereas the work in my lab tends to look more specifically at individual cell types that are affected by Alzheimer’s disease in particular brain regions.”
Williams and Badea’s...
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