Northeastern student Sophie “Sofi” Gandsas was inspired to study neuroscience after watching her grandfather struggle with Parkinson’s disease.
So, when presented with a co-op opportunity that focused on research of a similar group of neurodegenerative disease – rare and fatal prion disease – Gandsas was eager to contribute.
“It’s very difficult to work in a field where there aren’t a lot of cures and treatments available,” said Gandsas, who is on the pre-medical track. “So being involved in research has been really amazing.”
Gandsas is a third year student studying behavioral neuroscience and Spanish for healthcare. During a co-op last spring, she worked with researchers and nurses with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to help coordinate clinical trials for prion disease. Her tasks included scheduling and interacting with participants, drawing and processing blood samples and handling cerebrospinal fluid samples, performing some cognitive tests, and more.
Read more at Northeastern Global News
Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University
