Aaron Held has an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a Masters in Biotechnology from Boston University. At Brown, he is pursuing his graduate studies in the laboratory of Dr. Kristi Wharton, in the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry. Mr. Held’s research uses the fruit fly Drosophila to model Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and study how different genetic mutations affect sensory and motor circuits. His efforts have unexpectedly demonstrated that, for a new genetic model, the motor circuit remains healthy, and instead the sensory feedback circuit is defective. He has also shown that manipulation of the Bone Morphogenic Protein (BMP) pathway can improve motor function and delay death. To reach these findings, Mr. Held had to bridge non-overlapping expertise between two laboratories: Drosophila developmental biology and BMP signaling in the Wharton lab, and electrophysiological approaches to study neuronal circuitry in the laboratory of Dr. Diane Lipscombe. Mr. Held plans to further clarify the mechanism by which BMP signaling can recover motor function, and explore whether sensory dysfunction and BMP suppression apply to other genetic models of ALS. Mr. Held intends to become an independent scientist at an academic research institution and has a detailed plan that includes postdoctoral training and grant applications to accomplish that goal.
Graduate Student