Reid Larsen

Reid is a Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Sciences program at UC San Diego. His research in Dr. Richard Daneman’s lab focuses on the tight regulation of substances entering and exiting the brain, controlled by the special properties of the brain’s blood vessels. This “blood-brain barrier” is critical to maintaining homeostasis and its dysfunction plays a role in the in the pathology of diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, Reid is studying the role of the sugar coating on the surface of the brain’s blood vessels, termed the glycocalyx, that acts as the first barrier in the blood-brain barrier.

In addition to his research, he also believes that learning more about the Anthropocene and where we came from is a crucial component in examining the why behind our goals and for intelligently charting our future directions.