Nguyen was awarded a grant from the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for studies aiming to stimulate growth of new brain cells and, ultimately, reverse the course of dementia.

For USC Stem Cell PhD student Wynnie Nguyen, the first lessons in science started at home.

Growing up in Vietnam, she enjoyed cooking, baking or sewing alongside her mother, who also worked as a chemical engineer in the textile industry. Nguyen’s love for science began with the chemistry of the kitchen and the geometry she learned making dresses for her dolls.

“My mom was my first role model as a scientist,” said Nguyen, a fourth-year PhD student in Development, Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine in the Programs in Biomedical and Biological Sciences (PIBBS) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “Up until junior high school, I learned more by cooking with my mom than I did in class. The skill set I gained cooking, baking or sewing has been helpful in science, whether it’s observation, time management, trial and error, troubleshooting — all of that.”

Those everyday experiments set the path to Nguyen’s current research seeking to awaken the brain’s stem cells so they form new neurons that support learning and memory, with the ultimate goal of reversing dementia.

The Cure Alzheimer’s Fund recently recognized this research with a $115,000 grant for her work with mentor Michael Bonaguidi, PhD, associate professor of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine, gerontology, biomedical engineering, and neurological surgery, and assistant director of the USC Neurorestoration Center.

“I’m thankful to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund for the trust they’ve placed in me,” she said. “It’s very encouraging to know that they see the impact of my work and my potential as a young scientist.”

The quest to renew brain cells in Alzheimer’s patients

In contrast to the larger body of current investigations across the Alzheimer’s field, which tend to focus on preventing symptoms and delaying progression, Nguyen’s research in the Bonaguidi Lab targets later-stage disease.

The team has identified a gene associated with the function of stem cells in the brain. When this gene declines in function during aging, this sabotages the production of new brain cells. They aim to increase the gene’s activity with drug treatment or gene therapy to restore neural stem cells.

“It’s exciting to find ways to unlock the potential of neural stem cells,” Nguyen said. “Although neural stem cells are important for cognitive resilience, these cells can be easily exhausted and have limited capacity to renew themselves. Thus, they have traditionally been perceived as poor and unsustainable targets for anti-aging interventions.”

Early studies in lab models have demonstrated the ability to regenerate brain cells in advanced stages of dementia. With further development and success, this line of inquiry could lead to therapies that restore cognition in human patients.

“Often, by the time people show significant symptoms, today’s interventions offer limited help,” Nguyen said. “We want to fill that gap in interventions for Alzheimer’s.”

Gaining perspective and giving back

Bonaguidi has taught Nguyen to place her work in a larger perspective, whether it’s finding ways to engage nonscientists or looking at problems from multiple angles.

“For my own project, we can see it from the aging perspective, the Alzheimer’s disease perspective or the stem cell perspective,” she said. “We can also look at it as drug discovery and gene therapy to increase the value of the work and broaden its impact.”

In her first year, she also received vital advice from a more-experienced peer mentor, fellow PIBBS student Oluchi Ofoegbu.

“She told me, ‘Your PhD experience is what you make it,’” Nguyen said. “That really motivates me and gives me a sense of agency. I’ve seen that I can create the experience that I want here if I take initiative.”

These words of wisdom have nurtured personal growth for Nguyen. In turn, she’s taken action to give back to her peers.

She was part of a cadre of trainees who relaunched the Keck School of Medicine’s Graduate Student Association, where she serves as vice president.

“I never thought that I could be in a leadership position,” she said. “It was scary because I’m very introverted. Sometimes I just want to be invisible. But I’m happy I took on the challenge.”

She and her peers started by putting together mixer events for graduate students. Current plans expand to community service projects and career development workshops exploring the opportunities available after graduation.

Looking ahead to her own future prospects, Nguyen envisions continuing in biomedical research, although she’s not yet sure whether that will be in academia or industry.

“My ultimate focus is translational work,” she said. “I’m curious to understand more, and I want to see how I can turn it into an application or a product that provides a benefit to other people.”