Abstract: Neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration are hot topics in brain research, and they have become very promising targets for the development of novel disease-modifying treatments in pathological conditions. In order to characterize there aspects of brain tissue in both preclinical and human models, non-invasive tools are needed to measure biomarkers of the inflammatory state and salient microstructural characteristics, such as the level of myelination, axonal diameter and density. Our research focuses on the development, optimization and application of innovative, non-invasive and translational resonance imaging tools, relevant to both basic and clinical research. In this seminar, I will use these tools to characterize brain trajectories during healthy aging, as well as to identify early biomarkers, which can precede and predict diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s, all taking into account the gender dimension. 

Bio: Silvia De Santis obtained her PhD in Physics in 2011 at the Sapienza University, Rome, Italy. She moved to UK for her postdoctoral training working in the field of white matter MR imaging in Cardiff University. Thanks to a Wellcome Trust scheme, she developed a research programme in Tel Aviv University and Maastricht University, looking at advanced microstructural biomarkers. Since 2015, she joined the Institute of Neuroscience of Alicante, where she is now a group leader and head of the Translational Imaging Biomarkers Lab. Her research is focused on characterising cell-, region- and sex-specific ageing trajectories in health and disease.

Fecha y Hora: viernes 11 de noviembre, 12.30 horas

Lugar: Seminario 4