Jordan Shellow Rose Hills
Chronic Stress Effects on Aging in Neocortex
The purpose of my research is to investigate if chronic stress impacts the aging brain, focusing on the neocortex. Allostatic load, the sum of all chronic stress, is known to cause harmful impacts on health, and this study seeks to examine how certain degenerative pathways in the neocortex are affected by stress. Further, the neocortex is necessary for many cognitive processes such as memory, perception, thought and attention, making it of particular interest for cognitive aging research. If this project finds a relation between high allostatic load and degradation of the neocortex, a new link between chronic stress and bodily impacts will be established. In sum, this project will potentially contribute new knowledge to the field of neurodegeneration because it can highlight a region of the brain that is vulnerable to chronic stress, allowing researchers to better understand how the brain reacts to stress and how stress may impact brain function.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much to my donor for funding my project. This experience is invaluable to me and will truly help me develop my skills with research as well as gain understanding on what it takes to be a full time researcher. Further, this project will hopefully contribute to human knowledge on the brain and the mechanisms behind neurodegeneration and memory disorders.