CLEAR funded scientist advancing research for early Alzheimer's diagnosis

For Dr. Printha Wijesinghe, the road to neuroscience has been anything but ordinary.

Born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, amid civil war and disrupted education, she adapted her childhood dream of becoming a doctor into a pursuit of science first in agriculture, then in biochemistry and molecular biology, and ultimately in neuroscience. After earning top honours and helping establish Sri Lanka’s first human brain bank, she completed a dual PhD between the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Maastricht University.

Immigrating to Canada, she once again started anew, balancing motherhood and family responsibilities while reigniting her passion for brain research.

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Tear-based microRNA Research Discovery

In 2021, Dr. Wijesinghe joined Dr. Joanne Matsubara’s lab at UBC, with an unconventional idea: studying tear fluid as a potential early biomarker of the disease. Understanding that tear fluid is connected to the central nervous system and reflects molecular changes allows for a non-invasive investigation.

Dr. Wijesinghe's work focuses on microRNAs (miRNAs) — small RNA molecules that don’t code for proteins but play a powerful regulatory role in how genes express themselves. Because miRNAs are stable and present in bodily fluids like blood, saliva, and tears, they may provide a reliable, accessible way to detect Alzheimer’s-related changes before symptoms appear.

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Tears holding answers to early onset Alzheimer's disease

Using a mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Wijesinghe found that specific miRNAs linked to amyloid buildup, inflammation, and tau tangles were consistently lower in affected tissues, not only in the brain, but also in the eye and tears. A pilot study involving patients with mild cognitive impairment and early-stage Alzheimer’s revealed similar patterns, suggesting that tears may indeed hold valuable diagnostic clues.

Experts emphasize that access to these treatments must go hand in hand with early detection and prevention. Advances in brain imaging, biomarker testing, and blood-based diagnostics are making it possible to identify Alzheimer’s disease much earlier.

We look forward to sharing updates on Dr. Wijesinghe’s work as she continues to advance early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia.

To read the original article published by the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health please click here.