WHERE WERE YOU BEFORE RECEIVING THIS AWARD?
After 20 years in fundamental neuroscience, I directed my research towards the preclinical translational gene therapy. This is a quite challenging moment to obtain research funding and could endanger one’s career. This is because the funding institutions require sufficient experience and publication record in the specific field that is described in grant applications. Meanwhile, I reduced my laboratory activities because I spent some time in Dublin hospitals to interact with patients with neurodegenerative disorders and to reactivate my medical license. The decreased research publication output due to the clinical activity additionally posed a risk for my academic career. I received this award in at the right moment to aid my professional transition.
YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT IN LAY TERMS
The cognitive deterioration of patients with Parkinson’s Disease, which could precede the motor symptoms, is characterised with progressive decline of attention and memory that severely impacts the quality of life. Can we restore the cognitive deficits of patients with brain neurodegeneration? The answer of this challenging question is the primary focus of my project. Recent advances of gene therapy provide us with the unique opportunity to halt the neurodegeneration. The technical approach to halt neurodegeneration is a genetic technique that supresses the expression of abnormally active proteins. Successful project outcome will revolutionize the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease and significantly reduce the treatment costs.
HOW HAS ISSF HELPED YOUR RESEARCH CAREER?
With the support of ISSF I was able to initiate my translational preclinical research. The funding allowed me to test cutting-edge technology for gene therapy with transgenic rodent model of Parkinson’s Disease. Without the support of ISSF I would have been unable to obtain vital preliminary data. These data gave me the required expertise to apply for competitive research grants and to establish further my lab in the field of preclinical gene therapy. Furthermore, the ISSF research project enabled me to develop collaborations with clinicians in Dublin hospitals, where I plan to translate my work in the next few years.
TANGIBLE OUTPUTS AS A RESULT OF RECEIVING THE AWARD
Due to the Covid pandemic the research progress was slowed down, affecting the publication output. However, my research work is back on track as I have completed the synthesis of the compound for the gene therapy, injected it successfully in the animals and evaluated the therapeutic effect. Using the preliminary data, I have applied for SFI Frontiers for the Future Programme grant.