Alexandra Berkowicz

Alexandra Berkowicz is a 2022-2026 Self Graduate Fellow pursuing a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Kansas Medical Center. After growing up in Gurnee, Illinois, Berkowicz graduated from the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 2021 with a B.S. in BioMolecular Engineering and a minor in Chemistry. Her graduate research focuses on the role of declining protein homeostasis in aging and neurodegeneration. Protein homeostasis, or proteostasis, declines as an individual ages, leading to increased protein aggregation and decreased efficiency of major cellular processes. The driving cause is unknown, but upstream events are related to protein supersaturation and metabolic deficiencies. By identifying the bioenergetic and biophysical fluctuations that occur with age, she aims to unravel the underlying mechanisms behind neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s Disease.

Mentors: Randal Halfmann, Ph.D. Associate Investigator, Stowers Institute.