Noah Arnold, a Ph.D. student in Dr. Jessica Larsen’s lab in Clemson’s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, has received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31 fellowship through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. He is the first ChBE student to receive an NIH F31 fellowship.
Arnold’s fellowship supports research into new treatment strategies for GM1 gangliosidosis, a rare inherited disease that primarily affects children and causes progressive damage to the brain and nervous system. The disease results from a shortage of an enzyme that breaks down certain molecules in cells. When those molecules accumulate, they can contribute to severe neurological decline.
A major challenge is getting therapeutic enzymes into the brain, which is protected by the blood-brain barrier. Arnold is studying polymersomes—nanoscale engineered carriers that may help transport enzymes across that barrier. His research will test how well the system delivers the enzymes and whether it can help restore cellular function and reduce disease-related damage.
The project includes studies in animal models to optimize dosing and evaluate treatment effects, as well as experiments with patient-derived brain organoids to examine cellular responses in human tissue. The fellowship also supports Arnold’s scientific training and professional development.
Arnold credits Larsen’s mentorship and the contributions of graduate and undergraduate researchers in the lab, describing the fellowship as a reflection of the collaborative team behind the work.
