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
