More than a billion people worldwide live with migraine, a debilitating neurological disorder associated with intense head pain, sensory sensitivity, and other complex symptoms that can last hours, days, or even weeks. AJ Schick, a sixth-year PhD student in the Chemical Biology program at Harvard, is working to better understand the molecular mechanisms behind the condition and improve treatment options for patients.
By testing existing medications and other compounds in cell models, he hopes to identify the proteins and biological pathways that regulate the secretion of calcitonin gene-related peptide, or CGRP, a naturally occurring molecule that can cause many migraine symptoms. These discoveries could help researchers move beyond the current trial-and-error approach to migraine treatment and develop therapies that target the underlying biology of the disease more precisely, providing relief to hundreds of millions of sufferers, including Schick's own mother.
