Sanskar Ranglani

Neuroscience

Year of study:

5th

Using an Individual’s Genetic Architecture for Diabetes to Predict Whether They Will Develop Dementia

Abstract

One of the most significant public health concerns of the 21st century is dementia, and despite costing the UK economy alone over £26 billion annually, its prediction and treatment remains elusive. One of the risk factors that can influence dementia is diabetes. However, it remains unexplored whether an individual’s genetic makeup for diabetes has a relationship with dementia. Using the landmark UK BioBank cohort with brain health data from over 40,000 people, we tested whether an individual’s genetic makeup for diabetes, defined as their genetic predisposition to have higher levels of sugar being attached to haemoglobin (HbA1c) correlated with poorer brain health. We found that absolute HbA1c levels in the blood exhibited a relationship with poorer brain health. However, an individual’s genetic makeup for higher HbA1c did not add much predictive value beyond this. These results are consistent with previously published data, and it is recommended to keep blood glucose levels in check to maintain good brain health.

Bio

Hello! I am Sanskar. I grew up in India, but moved to Glasgow in 2019 to pursue my higher education. I am in the final year of my integrated masters (MSci) degree in Neuroscience. Over the last two years, I have gained multidisciplinary experience in investigating dementia. I have gone from cellular and molecular levels, to individual, and then to population levels in studying dementia in different ways. My primary research interest lie within this area, and I am excited to showcase some of the work I did during summer 2022 at the School of Health and Well-being at the University of Glasgow at Let’s Talk About X. Outside research, I am passionate about skill development, and am currently an intern for the careers service at the University. I also am an intern for the school of infection and immunity, where I am learning qualitative research techniques to contribute to educational research. I strongly feel that an interdisciplinary approach to investigating dementia has given me a conducive perspective on the brain, and I look forward to sharing my work with others at Let’s Talk About X, while learning about the other cutting-edge research being undertaken by undergraduates at the University.