Eleanor Law
Yale Pathways Research Intern
Genotyping century old DNA: Investigating Auguste Deter, the first recorded case of Alzheimer’s disease
My current project, in which I am mentored by Shahar, focuses on Auguste Deter, the first person to be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 1901.
Currently, the cause of her disease is unresolved, but it is known not to be age-related or caused by genetic predisposition. However, multiple genes could hold possible locations for mutations that could have been the origin of her disease.
Our goal is to examine these locations from the extracted DNA of Deter’s brain against a reference human genome to determine if any mutations are present that could have caused her disease.
I am an avid animal lover, and I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my many pets, which include a dog, cats, a horse, chickens, and fish. Some of my favorite activities include playing the guitar, making crafts, baking, and horseback riding, which is a sport that I’ve been doing for over 8 years. I live in the East Rock area and enjoy spending time with friends, getting good food, and hiking in the park.
Timeline
2024
Starting my internship at Department of Genetics at Yale Medical School in New Haven (Connecticut)
2021
Studying Biology at Wilbur Cross High School in New Haven (Connecticut)