Xiulian Sun, University of British Columbia

Distinct transcriptional regulation and function of the human BACE2 and BACE1 genes

Memory is precious for the elderly, their family and society. Alzheimer's disease is a devastating disease affecting the memory of the elderly. At the moment, there is no cure for this disease. Ms. Sun's paper addresses the molecular pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease to help to find the cure for the disease.

Her research studied some of the genes involved in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. BACE1 and BACE2 are two active proteins (i.e., enzymes) involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease; she studied the mechanism of how the BACE1 and BACE2 genes were regulated and their roles in disease progress.

Elucidation of the cause of disease at the molecular level is important in drug development in order to treat disease. Her research found that the BACE2 enzyme can potentially reduce the pathological abnormalities of Alzheimer's disease. Manipulations that can increase or mimic BACE2 function were explored to treat Alzheimer's disease.

To improve health care is Ms. Sun's career goal. Although she received some knowledge about diseases from her previous training in medical school, research is vital to better health care. This research project allowed her to learn how to do research and how to make research useful in developing treatments.

Ms. Sun is currently on her way to obtaining a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience. After getting her degree, she intends to engage in postdoctoral research for a few years, which will help her polish her research techniques in order to become an independent researcher in the future.