Current & Past Scholars

2025 REC Scholars

Miles Bryan, PhD

Research Associate

UNC-Chapel Hill
Alzheimer’s Disease
Animal Models
Cell Biology – Neurodegeneration
REC Scholar Project: Targeting acetylated tau in Alzheimer’s disease using immunotherapy and CRISPR-screening approaches

Melissa Walsh, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

UNC-Chapel Hill
Cognition
Neuroimaging
REC Scholar Project: Impact of Menopause and APOE4 on Neurosteroid Balance and Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers in Women

2025 Associate REC Scholars

Katherine He

Undergraduate Trainee, Duke University

Duke University
Biomarkers
Epidemiology & Population Health
Associate REC Scholar Project: Intergenerational Dynamics of Stress and Biomarkers: A Biopsychosocial Approach to Exploring Links to Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia Across Demographics.

Sejal Patel

Undergraduate Trainee, Duke University

Duke University
Biomarkers
Neurodegeneration
Associate REC Scholar Project: Investigating Novel Retinal Layer Thickness Biomarkers along the Alzheimer’s Continuum using Optical Coherence Tomography

2024 REC Scholars

Qing Cheng, PhD

Research Assistant Professor

North Carolina Central University
Biomarkers
Cellular Pathology
REC Scholar Project: APOE4 regulates nicotinic receptor function in the hippocampus

Jay Lusk, MD, MBA

Resident

UNC-Chapel Hill
Epidemiology & Population Health
REC Scholar Project: Individual and Neighborhood-Level Disparities in Polypharmacy Among Medicare Beneficiaries with Dementia: A Nationwide Study

Jenna Merenstein, PhD

Postdoctoral Fellow

Duke University
Neuroimaging
REC Scholar Project: Column-based analyses of cortical iron in healthy aging and Alzheimer’s disease

2023 REC Scholars

Rashmita Basu, PhD

Assistant Professor

East Carolina University
Epidemiology & Population Health
REC Scholar Project: Improving Health and Well-being of People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and their Family Caregivers in Eastern North Carolina

Michael Fernandes de Almeida, PhD

Postdoctoral Research Associate

UNC-Chapel Hill
Cell Biology – Cellular Aging
Cellular Pathology
REC Scholar Project: Targeting autophagy to monitor age-related cognitive decline and the dementia risk

Aaron Reuben, PhD, MEM

Postdoctoral Scholar

Duke University
Epidemiology & Population Health
REC Scholar Project: Assessing the Interplay of the Built Environment with Midlife Risk for Dementia

2022 REC Scholars

Melissa Harris-Gersten, PhD, RN

Clinical Associate in the School of Nursing

Duke University
Clinical Trials
REC Scholar Project: Development of a Dyadic Stress Management Toolkit for Dementia Caring Dyads

Jui-Heng “Henry” Tseng, PhD

Assistant Professor

REC Scholar Project: Deciphering the Aged Tau Species that Evolve During Normal Aging

Ling Wu, MD, PhD

Research Assistant Professor

North Carolina Central University
Alzheimer’s Disease
Biomarkers
Cognition
REC Scholar Project: New Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Tauopathies Diagnosis

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