Video Description: Tiny protein structures called amyloids are key to understanding certain devastating age-related diseases. Amyloids form plaques in the brain, and are the main culprits in the progression of Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s diseases. “In patients you see these huge plaques, but that’s the endpoint of the disease. It’s not the beginning,” said Matthew Lew, PhD, assistant professor in the Preston M. Green Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering at the School of Engineering & Applied Science. Lew explained how amyloids are so tiny that they can’t be visualized early in the disease progression using conventional microscopic techniques. He hopes a new imaging technique he helped develop will help doctors see amyloids in early stages of age-related diseases.

• Provide the video for students who are doing independent projects on medical discoveries or other medical/health related topics.
• Consider using this and other videos on the website that deal with aging as part of a student activity that includes student interaction with older adults.