Age- and Sex-Associated Changes in mRNA Expression of Neurodegenerative Disorder-Related Molecules in the Hippocampus and Cerebellum of Rat Brain

ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone who helped me to achieve my Master's degree. First and foremost, I would like to dedicate my work to the God I believe Sri Venkateswara swamy and my parents, Venkaiah Thulluri and Koteswaramma Thulluri for what I am today. They have given me strength day after day. If it were not for them, I would not have made it this far. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Bin Wang, for instilling in me the qualities of being a good researcher. Her infectious enthusiasm and unlimited zeal have been major driving forces through my graduate career at Marshall University. My Master's committee members, Dr. Eric R Blough, Dr. Leslie Frost and Dr.Miaozong Wu, deserve special thanks for helping me to undo the knots in my research and critical evaluation of my research progress. Also thanks to Dr. Eric Blough for readily donating the Rat brain tissue samples. Thanks also go to all of my great teachers who have taught me in High School, College level and Marshall University. Thanks to all my lab members who have helped me. Thanks to all my extended family members here in Huntington. Life was fabulous with you people and was always fun, it was as if I am in my motherland. Siva, Nandu and Anu. Thanks are due to my friends in other places who have helped me reach this day. Finally I would like to thank the Marshall University Department of Chemistry for giving me this opportunity to conduct and present my Master's research Project.