Caltech Postdocs Launch – November 22, 2024

Lunch will be served for the regular attendees.

Dr. Gabriele Bozzola

Research Software Engineering: A Vital Component of Modern Research

Research Software Engineers (RSEs) are vital in today's data-driven research. This talk explores the growing importance of RSEs, tracing their history and the recognition they're gaining in academia. It defines the RSE role, highlighting their unique skills bridging science and software, leading to faster discoveries and reliable results. Finally, it discusses exciting career opportunities for those passionate about both research and software, showcasing the impact RSEs have on research's future.

Dr. Sayan Dutta

Modeling Parkinson's Disease in a Regenerative Mammal - Spiny Mice (Acomys)

The degeneration of nigrostriatal (NS) dopaminergic (DA) neurons is central to the motor deficits observed in Parkinson's disease (PD). Spiny mice (Acomys) possess a unique regenerative capacity against various injuries; however, their ability to regenerate within the central nervous system (CNS) is not yet established. In this study, I induced NS degeneration in Acomys, hypothesizing that these mice will exhibit resistance to NS degeneration compared to conventional Mus musculus models. I evaluated both acute (toxin-based) and chronic (alpha-synuclein aggregation-based) PD models in Acomys and will present findings from behavioral and molecular assessments. I will also briefly describe Acomys's response to other acute CNS injuries and key insights gained from these models. Finally, I will discuss the challenges of conducting interspecies studies in neuroscience.