Three Minutes to Make an Impact

“Science is meant to benefit everyone, so it should also be understandable to everyone,” said Anita, who is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Neurosciences. Her current research, funded by a training award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), is focused on a large cohort study from the Study of Latinos–Investigation of Neurocognitive Aging (SOL-INCA). This clinical study examines risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in a subset of participants from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) – the largest and most comprehensive long-term investigation of Latino health and disease in the United States.

“Since coming to UC San Diego, in August 2024, I have led and published studies examining how kidney function and depression influence neurocognitive aging,” Anita explained. “My doctoral work on diabetes continues to inform my current research interests, particularly in understanding how metabolic and mental health intersect to shape brain aging in older populations. Given my background in pharmacology, I also have a strong interest in how commonly used medications may alter cognitive trajectories.” Her first-place winning talk explored the potential of repurposing metformin, a widely used diabetes medication, as a preventative treatment for Alzheimer's disease.

Varma who was awarded second place and the audience choice award, was excited about the challenge of presenting his work in such a short and concise manner.

“As scientists, we can be fascinated by our own work, but at the end of the day, I feel like we have some responsibility to tell the general public about what we're doing and why,” said Varma, a postdoctoral researcher in Loren Looger’s lab in the Department of Neurosciences. “I also really like talking about my science in general to a broad audience.”

Varma’s research is focused on cephalopods — squid, octopus and cuttlefish — and examines a virus-like gene found in their DNA. He is currently trying to determine what this gene is doing inside the cephalopod and exploring how to turn this viral-like gene into a tool for treating genetic disorders in humans.

“There’s a trove of fundamental biology that we have yet to discover about cephalopods,” said Varma. “I am always open to finding out new things. Science is a random walk sometimes. You don't have straight trajectories to just go from point A to point B. Sometimes you circle around and stumble upon something interesting or weird enough that you need to follow up to figure out why it’s there.”

Whether exploring brain aging or decoding cephalopod genetics, both Anita and Varma are united by curiosity, and a passion for helping others see the beauty of science.