Brea Brennan

Education
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering 2021, BioComputing, Marquette University

Research summary

My research focuses on investigating the mechanisms involved in changes to the functionality of the retina’s photoreceptors and vasculature in individuals who have type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). To assess these functional changes in the photoreceptors and vasculature, an adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope is used to provide single cell resolution in vivo. The in vivo functional imaging techniques used to investigate these functionality changes will include intensity-based optoretinography (iORG) and flickering light stimulation. IORG is a functional imaging technique which is used to measure the reflectance (intensity) change of the photoreceptors when flashed with a light. The reflectance changes in healthy photoreceptors tend to be larger than those that might be under stress or have been affected by pathology. The other functional imaging technique I will be using is a green flickering light to measure the vasculature’s change in blood velocity, flow, and diameter changes due to the increased neuron activity near the imaged vessels. This increase in neuronal activity’s effect on vasculature is called neurovascular coupling. In diseases such as T1DM, there have been previous studies that show that vessels undergo physiological changes in their diameter and blood velocity throughout disease progression. In addition to human work, I will be using the tree shrew animal model to investigate the changes in the photoreceptors and vasculature under a controlled induction of diabetes. The goal of this work is to gain a better understanding of the vasculature and photoreceptor’s functional changes seen in individuals with T1DM to determine if the functional changes seen in these structures can be detected before current clinical and structural changes are detected.