the medical world is always evolving, the opportunity to not only gain insight but potentially contribute to a therapeutic approach outside established pharmacology was one I couldn’ t resist.”
Parsa, originally from Fairfax, VA, said she was interested in the research project because it addressed two areas she is passionate about: preventive medicine and neurodegenerative disease research.
“ Alzheimer’ s disease is a growing public health concern, and the idea of leveraging Appalachian biodiversity to discover natural probiotics that inhibit Streptococcus mutans, a pathogen linked to cerebral microbleeds and Alzheimer’ s, felt both innovative and impactful. It aligns perfectly with osteopathic principles of holistic care and prevention,” she said.
Students identified more than 100 candidates as potential therapeutics.
“ Understanding the antimicrobial mechanisms and assessing whether these strains can survive and function in clinical settings is essential for translating our findings into real-world applications,” Parsa said.“ Being part of research that could lead to probioticbased interventions for oral and neurological health is incredibly motivating. It feels like we’ re working on something that could genuinely improve lives.”
Once the plants were identified and collected, they were processed in a lab to isolate beneficial bacteria from plant tissue, with students working to identify bacteria that have anti-infective properties against disease-causing bacteria.
“ After interesting ones were discovered, molecular sequencing techniques were performed and analysis showed that some of our candidate probiotics are new strains or perhaps even new species entirely,” Williams said.
The House of Medicine CME SUMMIT AT THE GREENBRIER Physicians United: Learning Together in the Mountain State
November 5-7, 2026 | The Greenbrier Resort | White Sulphur Springs
West Virginia Medical Journal • March 2026 • 29