Bryan

Bryan
Milton Academy
Milton, MA

Mentors:
Nicole Rockweiler, Yang Xu & Alec Wysoker 
Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research | McCarroll Lab 
 

Bryan applied to BSSP to “explore the intersection of computer science and biology through research.” The Broad Institute was the perfect place for him to scratch that itch. While at the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Bryan and his partner, Tina, explored schizophrenia (SZ), a complex and chronic mental disorder. While the direct causes of SZ remain unknown, researchers at the Broad Institute have recently begun to investigate the role of somatic mutations in the disease. Somatic mutations, which arise after fertilization, were recently implicated in SZ. Bryan investigated the impact of somatic mutations on gene expression by comparing neuronal and glial cells in SZ versus control donors. After obtaining the genes where these somatic mutations occurred, he identified which subset of genes were differentially expressed between SZ and controls. Their findings suggested that genes NRXN1, ADGRB3, CTNNA2, GPM6A, and GFAP were dysregulated. These findings help clarify the mutational mechanisms that drive differences in gene expression in SZ-related genes. “I loved the thrill of trying to answer previously unanswered questions,” Bryan said. “BSSP allowed me to combine my passion for programming with my love for the natural sciences. Whenever I was stumped, I always felt like I had someone to turn to--a mentor, a lab mate, a friend.”