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Jorge Maldonado De Jesus

Advisor- Catherine Best-Popescu
NSF- Miniature Brain Machinery (MBM) Trainee

Biography

I am a neuroscience Ph.D. student from Puerto Rico, where I obtained my bachelor's degree at Ana G. Mendez University, at Universidad del Este in Carolina campus. My involvement in Neuroscience and research started during the summer internships that I participated such as SROP at Illinois, and REU “Discoveries in Bioimaging” at the Bioengineering Department at the University of Illinois. In addition, I was a trainee in the Research Initiative for Science Enhancement (RISE). 

Research Interests

Neurodegeneration, Neuroinflammation and neural imaging  

 

 

Research Description

My research is centered in the study of neuroinflammation and demyelination using state-of-the-art imaging techniques and automated computational analyses. Co-advised by Catherine Best-Popescu and Gabriel Popescu, he uses confocal microscopy and non-invasive quantitative light microscopy techniques, such as Spatial Light Interference Microscopy (SLIM). Applying SLIM analysis to experimental models of multiple sclerosis (MS), I track brain morphometric markers during relapse or recovery, and measures myelin mass quantities with picogram sensitivity.

Cellular and Neuroscience Imaging Laboratory

Awards and Honors

Miniature Brain Machinery (NSF funded fellowship)