I have two mentors for my research project, Dr. Jill Ostrem at UCSF and Dr. Andrea Fuentes at Stanford. We will conduct two different projects.
Medtronic collected data on PD patients and caregivers' attitudes toward DBS. None of the patients had DBS, and they were asked whether they would consider the treatment. My goal is to analyze the data and write a research paper summarizing my findings. We will be presenting this research at the American Academy of Neurology Conference in Denver on April 14, 2024. Our research is the first of its kind to present data about caregivers' attitudes toward DBS.
Here is a link the abstract: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1E70jE-V865IQS4pc0EmE6LFxHOLayFSp42IT8RB5VtE/edit
Since DBS is a relatively new treatment, there is very little research on access to DBS. My goal is to analyze all the published papers relevant to access and attitudes towards DBS (21 papers), and write a literature review that summaries all the findings.
During the summer and days when I don't have school, I shadow Dr. Ostrem while she works with patients in her clinic. I see patients at different stages of PD and see patients with and without DBS.