NSCS Student Published in Local Newspaper

Konner Kirwan is an NSCS student who has been doing research in Dr. Lalitha Madhavan's lab about relating autophagy in skin cells to Parkinson's disease. "Autophagy" is the self-degradative process by which cells regulate their own resources and rid themselves of deformities that could be detrimental to their survival and to the survival of the organism. According to their findings, Kirwan says this process of autophagy is abnormal in skin cells affected by Parkinson’s disease, and he hopes these findings will lead to a better overall understanding of the mechanisms that drive Parkinson's as well as methodologies for early diagnosis. Konner's passion for Parkinson's research is fueled by his love of science as well as his love of his family that has a history with the disease. 

Read the Arizona Daily Star publication here: https://tucson.com/news/science/skin-cells-a-window-into-the-parkinson-s-disease-brain/article_cc02ec1f-1d8e-5a00-9e59-2125d8dbaff5.html