Functions
Doctoral researcher
In detail
Vivian S. Baker obtained her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA, and later moved to Germany to pursue higher education in the topic of neurosciences. During the course of her studies, she has gained particular interests in neurodegenerative diseases and molecular neurosciences. Her master’s thesis at the University Clinic Düsseldorf aimed to investigate the possible connection between insulin resistance and Alzheimer’s disease in in vitro models. After finishing her MSc in August 2022 Vivian joined the LCSB as a doctoral researcher. As part of a larger FNR-funded PEARL programme project, Vivian’s PhD project focuses on the formation of tunnelling nanotubes (TNTs) in primary murine in vitro models, and the roles that TNTs play in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s by facilitating the spreading of pathological aggregates, as well as the transfer of various organelles that are disease relevant. The project seeks to uncover the extensive list of organelles that are transferred by TNTs via the use of various techniques, including quantitative proteomics.