Country
Netherlands
Maria Teresa is a neuroscientist and science advocate. She brings over 20 years of global experience in Alzheimer's and brain research, specializing in neuroimmunology and sex and gender differences.
She is part of the Faculty of the Certificate for Advanced Studies (CAS) in Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich, an affiliated researcher at the Center for Alzheimer’s Research (CAR) of Karolinska, an external lecturer (Privat Dozent) at the Medical University of Vienna, and a Fellow of the European Academy of Neurology (EAN). She holds a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Cagliari (Italy) and a PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics from McGill University (Montreal, Canada).
As a postdoc and group leader, she has worked at the University of Zurich in Professor Nitsch’s group, where aducanumab, the first FDA-approved disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s, was discovered. In 2016, she co-founded the "Women's Brain Project" (WBP), a non-profit organization that explore the impact of sex and gender on brain and mental health for precision medicine. There, she served as Chief Scientific Officer until 2023, coordinating and leading numerous international research, policy, and advocacy projects. Her work resulted in numerous peer-reviewed papers, five textbooks, numerous lectures and keynotes, dozens of educational workshops and events, over 10 policy papers and active collaborations with leading partners in the private sector. Her dedication to scientific communication is demonstrated through conferences, media appearances, TED-x talks, and two books written for the general public (Una Bambina Senza Testa and Alzheimer Revolution, both published by Mondo Nuovo Editore). She currently continues her work in the field of brain health advocacy and gender medicine research in collaboration with the Center for Alzheimer Research at the Karolinska and the Panel for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion of the EAN, of which she is a member of the Management Board.
Since January 2024, she has been leading the clinical development of Syntropic Medical, a startup (spin-off of the IST research institute in Klosterneuburg, Austria) dedicated to creating non-invasive neurostimulatory devices for patients with mental disorders. She is also co-founder and Board Member of ASSAI (Associazione Scambi Scientifici Austria Italia), a non profit association aimed at fostering scientific collaborations between Italy and Austria.
