Chemistry major’s summer research takes aim at Huntington’s disease

One of the most puzzling genetic diseases has a new adversary: Alexie Andrew ’08.

Andrew, a chemistry major and environmental studies minor from Tulsa, Okla., is spending her summer on the Holy Cross campus, studying the Huntingtin protein, which causes Huntington’s disease. Working under the direction of Sarah Petty, assistant professor of chemistry, she and the other members of the research team are analyzing the components of the protein as a step toward finding a cure.

Andrew will conduct her research in Petty’s lab in Haberlin Hall — all while putting her own life under a microscope. During the nine weeks, she will maintain a blog about her time on campus, in and out of the lab.  She’s working with two Holy Cross students on this particular research.

Huntington’s disease results from genetically programmed degeneration of brain cells, called neurons, in certain areas of the brain. This degeneration causes uncontrolled movements, loss of intellectual faculties, and emotional disturbance. About 30,000 people have Huntington’s disease in the United States, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. At least 150,000 others have a 50 percent risk of developing the disease and thousands more of their relatives live with the possibility that they, too, might develop the disease.

Each year, Holy Cross, one of the nation’s top producers of chemistry graduates certified by the American Chemical Society, plays host to dozens of summer student researchers and provides associated programming using funds from various institutional grants. This year, 70 students are working with faculty members in the departments of biology, chemistry, economics, mathematics, physics, and psychology to conduct research.

Aside from her lab work, Andrew will reveal what life on Mount St. James and in Worcester is like at a time when the majority of students are away.

A rising senior, Andrew is continuing research that she has conducted since the fall of her junior year. She plans on attending graduate school in environmental chemistry.

Related Information:

* Read Alexie's blog * Integrated Science Complex