Clemson Student Wins Top Award for Brain Disease Research
Chemical engineering student Ashley Blake just earned one of America's most prestigious undergraduate honors for her work developing treatments that could help millions living with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The Goldwater Scholar is creating drug delivery systems that can break through the brain's natural barriers to deliver medicine where it's needed most.
A college student from South Carolina is taking on some of medicine's biggest challenges, and her work just earned national recognition.
Ashley Blake, a chemical engineering major at Clemson University, won a Goldwater Scholarship this spring. The award recognizes the top undergraduate researchers in science and engineering across the entire country.
Blake is working on something that could change lives. She's developing drug delivery systems that can cross the blood-brain barrier, the protective shield that keeps harmful substances out of our brains but also blocks many helpful medications.
Her research with Professor Jessica Larsen focuses on creating systems that can slip past this barrier. The goal is getting treatments directly to the parts of the brain where they can fight diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
"I'm hoping I can help certain people with unimaginable diseases really find a way to live with them," Blake said.
The Fort Mill native didn't initially choose Clemson for its research opportunities. She picked it because it was in state, but discovered the university's research strength after arriving on campus.
That discovery led to breakthrough opportunities. Last summer, Blake conducted research in Germany at Friedrich Schiller University Jena through a competitive international scholarship. This summer, she'll work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Why This Inspires
More than 6 million Americans live with Alzheimer's disease, and nearly one million have Parkinson's. Young researchers like Blake represent hope for families watching loved ones struggle with conditions that currently have no cure.
Blake isn't stopping with graduate school. After earning her Ph.D., she plans to found her own company focused on gene therapy and neuroscience research.
David Bruce, chair of Clemson's Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, said the scholarship places Blake among the top undergraduate researchers in the country. Her combination of talent, work ethic, and commitment to solving real problems shows what's possible when brilliant young minds tackle humanity's toughest challenges.
The next generation of medical breakthroughs is already in the lab.
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Based on reporting by Google News - Disease Cure
This story was written by BrightWire based on verified news reports.
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