Research Projects

The anticipated pandemic increase in the number of Alzheimer disease (AD) and dementia cases carries serious implications for society. The goal of the MIND-AD project is to identify effective prevention strategies for AD/dementia tailored to different at-risk groups. The project is based on experiences and data from five ongoing European...

Non-invasive imaging techniques allow visualization of the dynamics and biochemical activity of pathological processes in real-time. By having proper molecular tools, a complete picture of pathologic conditions can be acquired at resolutions from the molecular level to the full body scale. Hence, smart multimodal imaging tools can be utilized for a...

This project aims at predicting early cognitive decline using a neurofeedback performance endophenotype based on realtime functional magnetic resonance imaging in a population at risk for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). It has been proven that AD biomarkers change decades before the development of symptoms. In addition, there is a lack of robust...

This fellowship will provide a prolific researcher with an internationally competitive, multi-disciplinary research training at the Chemistry/Biology interface in an EU leading Bioinorganic chemistry team, preparing her to obtain her goal of a faculty position in the EU and her own research team in Medicinal Chemistry. She will develop novel anti...

Many older adults living in residential care homes suffer from dementia and depression. MIDDEL aims to determine if music interventions can help. Specifically, this trial will provide robust and generalisable results concerning the comparative effects of group music therapy (GMT), recreational choir singing (RCS), their combination, or standard...

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is a central redox cofactor and the limiting substrate of key metabolic enzymes. The constellation of cellular functions in which NAD+ is involved makes its availability critical for cell survival, and its depletion is a leading factor in a number of diseases in humans, ranging from rare inherited defects to...

Molecular imaging is the current standard of care for the diagnosis (staging) of cancer, the evaluation of cancer treatment effectiveness, and is generating evidence as the best predictor for earlier diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease. Molecular imaging differs from traditional imaging in that probes known as biomarkers are used to help image...

Here is proposed nano-scale synthesis and combinatorial screening of medium sized peptide-transition metal catalyst libraries with the aim of producing libraries for screening highly selective catalysts for development of nano-medicines. The implementation of catalytic molecules as medicines is a new paradigm in treatment that can overcome a number...

Microfluidics have become a powerful tool in biotechnology and life sciences, whereas the nanofluidic regime remains widely unused in industry and the clinical environment. Especially protein misfolding diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s disease, recently experience a growing demand for single-molecule detection capabilities...

The search for effective therapies and early detection strategies for Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), the major cause of dementia in Europe, is imperative. It is known that β-amyloid (Aβ) peptide plays a central role in neurodegeneration. In AD brain, Aβ is released in a soluble form that progressively becomes insoluble forming aggregates; extracellular...

The aim of this project is to develop novel nano-bioanalytical methodologies to explore a molecular paradigm for the initiation of short-term memory (STM) based on exocytosis events. Despite the vital role in neural disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, the molecular mechanisms of the initial step in STM formation is still mostly a mystery...

The endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can rapidly reorganize its functional domains and inter-organelle communication sites in response to cellular demands. ER-mitochondria communication is essential for normal cell physiology, as it conveys lipid exchange, mitochondrial calcium uptake, among other vital processes for mitochondrial function. In neurons...