My grandmother had dementia, and I have always thought that it is unfair that some people do not have the opportunity to preserve their memories and revive them whenever they want. Although I could not tackle neurodegenerative diseases as a young student, I always wanted to play an active role in research.
My PhD in the Developmental and Cellular Biology research group at the Luxembourg Center for Systems Biomedicine (LCSB) focuses on the innate immune brain cells, the microglia, and their function. We integrate these microglia in midbrain organoids, 3D-cell structures mimicking the human brain generated from patients carrying a specific gene mutation for Parkinson’s disease.
One of the biggest challenges in Parkinson’s research is that while current drugs treat patients' symptoms, no treatment on the market slows or stops the progression of the disease. Therefore, investing time and focus on developing drug candidates for clinical treatment is crucial.
With my research, I want to contribute a small piece of the big puzzle called Parkinson's disease.