ESR10: Débora Pita

ESR Fiche

Cell-Based Models for Neurotrophic Therapeutic Testing

 EuroNeurotrophin Research
Débora will conduct research in building a cell-based models of rodent and human neuronal function for use in the evaluation of candidate therapeutics with neurotrophic properties. The screening of candidate molecules, that have shown a neurotrophic activity in previous testing, will be carried out on a high content screening platform. The most promising candidates will be tested on the human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPS cells) differentiated into neurons. The iPS cells should have human neuronal characteristics and functionality.


Host
B10: VU University of Amsterdam, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research in Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands

Supervisor
Ass. Prof. Ka Wan Li, VU University of Amsterdam, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research

Scientific Background
Débora has obtained her Bachelor degree in Biotechnology at University of Vic – Central University of Catalunya, Spain, and her interuniversity Master in Neurosciences at University of A Coruña, University of Santiago de Compostela and University of Vigo, Spain; where she obtained the specialty in Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience. For her MSc project she started a project related with Parkinson’s disease (PD), at Department of Morphological Sciences at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. At the end of her placement, she exposed her Master’s Thesis in the “XIII days for young researchers in Neuroscience” in Santiago de Compostela.
The project involved the differentiation of the N27 cell line into dopaminergic neurons to use them as a tool for the study of PD. She also characterized the presence of the Renin-Angiotensin system (RAS), included the new components of the protecting arm of the RAS as Mas Receptor.
In November 2019, Débora joined the EuroNeurotrophin Network. Since April 2020 she is at the VU University of Amsterdam, under the supervision of Ass. Prof. Ka Wan Li.