Dr. Kristine Freude runs a laboratory focused on Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma, and epilepsy. Each semester, her laboratory offers research assistantships for DIS students.
Together with three former DIS Research Assistants and six other collaborators, Dr. Freude has co-authored a peer-reviewed article that has recently been published in the World Journal of Stem Cells.
The alumni who assisted, Madeleine Odette, University of Utah, Colton Paterson, University of Colorado, Boulder, and Annika Oostenink, Tulane University, were enrolled in Dr. Freude’s Research Assistant courses in the fall 2018 and fall 2019 semesters.
Annika Oostenink shared about her involvement in Dr. Freude’s lab:
“I worked with Dr. Freude to develop and perfect techniques for culturing optic cup structures from human induced pluripotent stem cells. The cell lines we successfully developed generated large enough quantities of retinal ganglion cells and müller glia to be used in later experiments that will help us better understand some of the different cell type-specific phenotypes associated with glaucoma. Hopefully, the work I did will lead to developments in cell replacement therapies that are not currently possible.
Not only was being in Copenhagen with DIS life-changing, getting to work in the lab with Kristine opened my eyes to a world of scientific research I didn’t know I would love so much. I’m so grateful to DIS for allowing me this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with pioneers of the stem-cell research field.”
Madeleine Odette also shared a few words about her experience as a research assistant:
“Kristine was one of the best mentors I have ever had. She took the time to teach me about her research and gave me advice that I will use throughout the rest of my career. Kristine and DIS allowed me the opportunity to get published and I will forever be grateful for that. I learned more from Kristine and the DIS research practicum than any other class or lab I have taken.”
Congratulations to Dr. Freude and the three alumni for the publication, and a special congratulations to Dr. Freude for recently receiving the Alzheimer’s Association (Alzheimerforeningen) Researcher’s Award directly from Danish Princess Benedikte.
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