Project Title: Investigating the interplay between circadian clocks and mTOR signalling in microglia and its disruption in neurodegeneration
Supervisor: Dr Marco Brancaccio
Location: Level 5, Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, W12 0NN
About Me
I am a PhD student in the Brancaccio laboratory in the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London, funded by the UK Dementia Research Institute. My project is focussed on investigating the interplay between circadian clocks and the mTORC1 pathway in microglia cells.
I became fascinated by neuroscience during my Bachelor in Biotechnology, when a course held by a scholar of Nobel laureate Rita Levi Montalcini introduced us to her discoveries in the field of neurobiology. From there I continued my journey in science with an MSc in Neuroscience at the University of Trieste, and then joined the Brancaccio Lab for my Master's thesis project as a visiting student at Imperial. Here I started investigating the circadian regulation of inflammatory protein CD68 in microglia cells.
When not thinking about science, I love to plan hiking adventures and explore the outdoors!
Qualifications
- MSc Neuroscience (Distinction), University of Trieste
- BSc Biotechnology, University of Bologna
Research Interests
My main research focus is on the role of glial cells in regulating timekeeping mechanisms related to physiology and behavior, and how this is dysregulated during the early stages of neurodegeneration.
I am interested in exploring the contribution of glial cells, microglia in particular, to brain homeostasis and how their function is regulated by the interplay between different molecular pathways. In my project I will explore how the circadian clock and the mTOR pathway coordinate to regulate microglia activity, by combining in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo techniques.
Contact Details
Email: m.ferrari20@imperial.ac.uk
LinkedIn: marco-ferrari-5499941a4
How temperature and circadian rhythms intersect to regulate a protein shown to protect against neurodegeneration
A new study led by Dr Marco Brancaccio (UK DRI at Imperial) and Dr Marieke Hoekstra (former UK DRI at Imperial, now VIB-KU Leuven Center for Brain & Disease Research) offers a deeper insight into how a neuroprotective pathway is regulated both by temperature and the body clock. This research, published in the journal PNAS, could open up new therapeutic avenues for neurodegenerative disease. Read more on the UK DRI website
Introducing Cynthia Sandor: Pioneering earlier detection of Parkinson’s
Dr Cynthia Sandor, former Emerging Leader at the UK DRI at Cardiff, joins the UK DRI at Imperial as a Group Leader, where she will be tackling early diagnosis of Parkinson’s.
With a background in genetics, Dr Sandor uses computational methods to bring greater understanding to the underlying molecular mechanisms of Parkinson’s. Read more about Cynthia's work on the UK DRI website.