selective neuronal vulnerability

Boston University School of Medicine, PhD Student

Dr. Jean-Pierre Roussarie, May 2022 - Present

I am a current PhD student in the Roussarie Lab at Boston University School of Medicine. We are working to develop an in vitro system to model ECII neurons - broadly speaking, we are working to differentiate both iPSCs and fibroblasts to generic cortical neurons and ECII neurons. Other areas we are exploring include differentially expressed genes in ECII, protein interactions driving sensitivity to tau pathology, regulation of RELN signaling, and inherent characteristics of ECII neurons that determine the vulnerability of ECII neurons in Alzheimer’s disease.

Rotation, Summer 2022: My rotation project focused on the development of an in vitro culture system to model ECII (entorhinal cortex layer II) neurons. Additionally, we began preliminary investigations into recapitulating patient-derived mutations and clinical phenotypes in iPSC-derived neurons, to examine potential changes over the course of neurodegeneration.

Awards

  • 2024 BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center REC Scholar
  • 2022 AMA Research Challenge Poster Symposium Invitee

Presentations

  • Poster. Feng I, Volfinzon E, Rodriguez-Rodriguez P, Yao V, & Roussarie JP. “A human iPSC-derived model of vulnerable entorhinal cortex neurons in Alzheimer’s disease”. Presented at:
    • Graduate Medical Sciences Research Symposium, Boston University, MA. Apr 2025.
    • Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center Research Day, Boston University, Boston, MA. Mar 2025.
    • Anatomy & Neurobiology Black History Month Symposium, Boston University, Boston, MA. Feb 2025.
  • Poster. Feng I, Volfinzon E, & Roussarie JP. “Direct reprogramming of patient-derived cells to entorhinal cortex neurons in Alzheimer’s disease”. American Physician Scientists Association-Northeast Regional Meeting, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Mar 2024.
  • Poster. Feng I & Roussarie JP. “iPSC-derived neurons recapitulate cell type-specific pathology of tau variants”. Annual MD-PhD Retreat, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Sep 2022.