In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Prabesh Bhattarai, Associate Research Scientist - The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease, the aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a 2024 Toffler Scholar.
Dr. Bhattarai shares his groundbreaking work on regenerative biology and how understanding the remarkable ability of certain fish to regrow neurons could eventually lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
They explore:
🧠 How the fish geography can regenerate neurons lost to Alzheimer-like damage
🧬 The role of signaling molecules like IL-4 and BDNF in promoting brain regeneration
🐭 Why these regenerative processes don’t naturally occur in mice or humans—and what happens when researchers try to induce them
🔍 How astrocytes and the blood-brain barrier play a key role in Alzheimer’s pathology
🧪 How single-cell and spatial transcriptomics are unlocking new insights into brain cell function
🕵️♂️ The importance of identifying early biomarkers for Alzheimer’s to enable earlier intervention
🧩 Why Alzheimer’s is a multifactorial disease that requires a broad, integrative research approach
🔮 The future of therapeutic strategies—and the potential for delaying or even preventing disease progression
Dr. Bhattarai also discusses his latest findings around fibronectin 1 as a promising therapeutic target, and the complex but hopeful road ahead in Alzheimer’s research.
👉 If you’d like to learn more about Dr. Bhattarai’s work or connect with him, you can reach him at: pb2886@cumc.columbia.edu
🎧 Stay tuned for more episodes of Research Renaissance—exploring the future of brain science.
Visit tofflertrust.org to subscribe and learn more about the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust and its mission to advance cutting-edge brain research.
To learn more about the breakthroughs discussed in this episode and to support ongoing research, visit our website at tofflertrust.org.
Technical Podcast Support by Jon Keur at Wayfare Recording Co.
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