Graduate Student

Meet Sara:

Sara is an M.Sc. student in the Medical Genetics program at UBC. She previously completed a B.Sc. in Forensic Biology at Trent University, where she developed a background in population genetics and epidemiology through the study of ungulates (hooved mammals). Before making the transition to human genetics, Sara studied the ancient genomics of mountain goats at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and social contact networks of white tailed deer in Central Ontario. Outside of research, she enjoys making and collecting art, scrapbooking, photography, and hanging out with her calico cat, Sookie.

More about her work in the Dennis Lab:

In the Dennis Lab, Sara is studying sex differences in the effect of APOE on lipid profiles and cognitive trajectories. Over half of people living with Alzheimer’s carry the APOE e4 allele and female carriers are at the highest risk. The mechanism underlying this sex difference remains unclear, but cholesterol may be a missing link. Sara’s project is leveraging data from longitudinal cohort studies in Canada and the US to untangle sex specific associations between APOE, cholesterol, and memory across the life course.