Project Title: Investigating the interplay between circadian clocks and mTOR signalling in microglia and its disruption in neurodegeneration.
Supervisor: Dr Marco Brancaccio
Location: Burlington Danes Building, Hammersmith Hospital Campus

About Me

I am a UK DRI funded PhD student in the Brancaccio laboratory. My project is focussed on investigating the interplay between circadian clocks and the mTORC1 pathway in microglia cells.

I got fascinated about 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 a MSc in Neuroscience at University of Trieste, and then joined the Brancaccio Lab for my master thesis project as a visiting student. 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 in Neuroscience (Distinction) from University of Trieste

BSc in Biotechnology from 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