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Roy a participant in Monmouth College's Kieft Summer Research Program

Monmouth, Ill. (07/30/2021) — Sreya Roy, a senior from Kolkata, India, was one of 12 Monmouth College students to participate in the school's Kieft Summer Research Program.

An intensive eight-week experience that gives students excellent preparation for graduate or professional school, the program was created after the College received an estate gift of $2.3 million from beloved chemistry professor Richard "Doc" Kieft, who died in 2009.

The title of Roy's project was "Role of Chalcones in Preventing Plaque Formation in Alzheimer's Disease."

Monmouth has used Kieft's gift to fund several elements that the late professor believed were essential: attracting strong science students to Monmouth through scholarships; providing them robust research opportunities once they matriculated; and facilitating their travel to regional and national conferences where they could present their research.

"All of this research time is invaluable to a student's education," said Monmouth chemistry Audra Goach. "Doc Kieft knew how important this experience was for our students and we are grateful for him every day."

Research suggests that Alzheimer's Disease is caused when the concentration of the enzymes acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) are abnormally high. This can lead to a decrease in the concentration of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine and the formation of plaques. It is believed that inhibiting these enzymes could decrease the formation of these plaques in the brain, slowing the progress of Alzheimer's. Chalcone derivatives, which are AChE inhibitors, are easy to synthesize and can be constructed with a broad range of functionality.

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