Emma McCormac '20

A desire to help others leads to Alzheimer’s disease research

“Research keeps me driven,” says Emma McCormac ’20. In the Harrison Lab, alongside her advisor, Benjamin Harrison, B.Sc., Ph.D., assistant professor of Biomedical Science at the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Emma is working to optimize a screening approach for Alzheimer’s disease drug development.

Emma, from China, Maine, heard about research opportunities at UNE while looking at colleges in high school. “I knew at UNE I’d be able to get involved in undergraduate research as early as my freshman year, and I knew being involved in research would be an excellent way to use the education I’d gain at UNE in a hands-on way.”

A major goal of the Harrison Lab is to develop peptide drugs designed to protect basal forebrain neurons from degeneration. The research Emma is carrying out has two aims. “The first aim is to find a cell-penetrating peptide that optimally enters PC12 cells, and the second aim is to test at what timeframe the found peptide is most penetrant into the cells,” explains McCormac.

“As a pre-med student planning on applying to medical school, my personal goal has always been to help as many people as possible. Alzheimer’s disease affects nearly 16 million people in the United States. This research project has created a conjugated peptide that will be used for further research into Alzheimer’s disease, which has the potential to positively impact those with Alzheimer’s. That potential is something I am thrilled about.”

This past summer Emma continued her research as part of the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) at UNE*. “Research takes you beyond the classroom. My research experience has taught me so much about cell biology and disease pathways, but the real lessons I’ve learned didn’t come from working on cells. Research provided me with the experience of putting in a 40-plus hour week of work. I’ve learned time-management skills and how to address my concerns in a professional setting. I’ve had the opportunity to practice presenting scientific data, and I have been able to attend and present at an international conference. Doing research has been an amazing experience — one I think everyone should take advantage of.”

“It amazes me how much previous classes at UNE care about the continuation of research at UNE. Without knowing about my project or myself, someone’s gift to UNE allowed me to move to southern Maine for the summer and have a full-time professional job over the summer. It was truly the best summer I’ve had at UNE.”

*The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) at UNE has been sponsored by agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the American Chestnut Foundation, the Gulf of Maine Institute, the Maine Space Grant Consortium, National Institute of General Medical Sciences, Pratt and Whitney, Bristol Seafoods, the US Department of Agriculture, the UNE Marine Science Center, and the UNE Office of Research and Scholarship.