A 小蝌蚪APP senior spent her summer conducting research at Stanford 小蝌蚪APP to uncover possible causes of a condition that小蝌蚪APP檚 common in people with autism spectrum disorder.
April Pruitt of Opelousas, La., is pursuing a bachelor小蝌蚪APP檚 degree in . She participated in the nine-week Stanford Summer Research Program during which she helped narrow down a list of possible causes for megalencephaly, or an enlarged brain.
The program paired her and other undergraduates from around the country with faculty members at Stanford who are doing research relevant to the students小蝌蚪APP postgraduate interests. The California institution is among the world小蝌蚪APP檚 most prestigious universities.
Pruitt小蝌蚪APP檚 research interests include neuroscience, stem cell biology and immunology, and she secured a spot in a neuroscience and stem cell lab. There, she studied the DNA, carriers of genetic information in a cell, of autistic patients with megalencephaly.
Pruitt and her fellow researchers hypothesized that megalencephaly is caused when brain cells reproduce too quickly during early development in the womb.
To test the theory, Pruitt and her colleagues 小蝌蚪APP渕ade cells that already had functions pretty much reverse time and act like they did in early development,小蝌蚪APP she explained. They then acted as stem cells, a sort of blank slate able to be manipulated into the kinds of cells Pruitt and her lab partners were studying.
Autism encompasses a wide range of developmental disorders that can cause language, learning and social impairments. Twenty percent of the 62 million people with autism are estimated to also have megalencephaly. It小蝌蚪APP檚 the most common physical characteristic among patients with autism, and there isn小蝌蚪APP檛 much research to explain how or why the disorders are correlated.
During the Stanford internship, Pruitt discovered that certain cells missing a small 小蝌蚪APP but important 小蝌蚪APP piece of DNA that aids in language and learning reproduced much faster in early development than the others she observed.
She said her cells died 小蝌蚪APP渁t least four times小蝌蚪APP during the experiment. Responsible for feeding and maintaining them, Pruitt found that keeping microscopic cells alive could be a big challenge.
小蝌蚪APP淢y experiment failed a lot; my cells died a lot. Cells are really finicky, but I just kept trying. A lot of research is getting negative data, but that 10 percent of the time when you get really cool, awesome results makes all of the hard work worth it.小蝌蚪APP
小蝌蚪APP淓ven through the failures, I was so proud of my work,小蝌蚪APP Pruitt added.
Treatment efforts, such as behavioral therapy and coping skills, are as varied as autism itself and depend on the individual, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Pruitt小蝌蚪APP檚 research helps explain some uncertainties of autism and aids in the effort to find effective therapies.
小蝌蚪APP淗opefully by understanding the cause of megalencephaly, we can also better understand and treat a large subtype of autism. We can use this information to help children affected by it,小蝌蚪APP she said.
At UL Lafayette, Pruitt conducts research with . They examine the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for movement and coordination, in mice.
Smith has mentored Pruitt for three years. When Pruitt was accepted to two internships last summer, Smith encouraged her to choose the one at Stanford.
小蝌蚪APP淪he has quite a fantastic r茅sum茅. I knew Stanford was the right challenge for her. She小蝌蚪APP檚 extremely hard-working and isn小蝌蚪APP檛 afraid to try new things,小蝌蚪APP Smith said.
Pruitt said she started college with the intention of going to medical school, but her experiences in the labs at UL Lafayette and at Stanford have drawn her to a new path. After she graduates from the 小蝌蚪APP in May 2020, she小蝌蚪APP檒l pursue a Ph.D. in neuroscience.
小蝌蚪APP淚 want to inspire other students. STEM (an acronym for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math) can be for them. If I can do it, they can, too.小蝌蚪APP
(This article was written by Bailey Chenevert. She is student editor of . Chenevert is a senior psychology major who小蝌蚪APP檚 minoring in journalism. She will graduate in May 2020.)
Photo Caption: April Pruitt, a senior biology major at UL Lafayette, conducts research during a nine-week summer internship at Stanford 小蝌蚪APP in California. (Photo courtesy of April Pruitt)