Simpson Querrey Data Science Fellow

We are excited to announce that Rogan Grant, PhD is the first recipient of the new Simpson Querrey Fellowship in Data Science.

Grant's research aims to identify the mechanisms leading to cognitive impairment in aging and dementia, with particular focus on pneumonia as a contributing factor.

By applying data science methods to biological data, Grant has identified a link between pathological mishandling of DNA in immune cells in the brain and neuroinflammation. This appears to occur during aging and dementia and may be worsened by pneumonia.

"Using a combination of causal methods and unbiased, high-content techniques in biology, I aim to find the root cause of this dysfunction," says Grant. "My ultimate goal is to leverage these findings to slow or even reverse cognitive decline in aging and dementia."

Grant identified a link between pathological mishandling of DNA and neuroinflammation.

Kimberly Querrey and Louis Simpson as Trustees of Northwestern have been instrumental in supporting fundamental discoveries in science and engineering at Feinberg School of Medicine and moving those discoveries to patients. Recognizing the increasing importance of innovative technologies and data science models, they endowed the Simpson Querrey Fellowship in Data Science.

As the Simpson Querrey Data Science Fellow, Grant will benefit from the extraordinary environment and resources provided by SQLIFTS as he transitions toward an academic career as an independent investigator.