Katerina Akassoglou - Neurovascular Interactions: Mechanisms, Imaging, and Therapeutics
290 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305
Gunn Rotunda (E241)
Join us at Gunn Rotunda in the Stanford Neurosciences Building to learn about the latest cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary brain research, from biochemistry to behavior and beyond
Wu Tsai Neuro's weekly seminar series is back to being held in-person since Fall 2022. Masking is strongly encouraged for the health and safety of our community
Join the speaker for coffee, cookies, and conversation after the talk
Neurovascular Interactions: Mechanisms, Imaging, and Therapeutics
Abstract
The blood coagulation protein fibrinogen is deposited in the brain in a wide range of neurological diseases and traumatic injuries with BBB disruption. Recent research has uncovered pleiotropic roles for fibrinogen in neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, and inhibition of repair. Fibrin-targeting immunotherapy inhibits autoimmunity-and amyloid-driven neurotoxicity in animal models of multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease, suggesting selective fibrin targeting might be beneficial for suppressing vascular-driven neurodegeneration.
Katerina Akassoglou
UCSF (Gladstone Institutes)
Dr. Katerina Akassoglou has pioneered studies on neurovascular regulation of inflammation and tissue repair and the molecular interface blood proteins utilize to interact with nervous system cells. She developed a first-in-class fibrin-targeting immunotherapy to neutralize blood toxicity and protect the brain from pathogenic neuroinflammation in neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. She has published over 100 papers and book chapters and is a named inventor on 10 issued and several pending patents.
Dr. Akassoglou was awarded by the White House the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the John J. Abel Award in Pharmacology, the Dana Foundation Award, The Marilyn Hilton Award for Innovation in MS Research, the Greek Top Women Award, the Barancik Prize, the ISFP Prize and she was named by the San Francisco Business Times among the 2021 Most Influential Women in Bay Area Business. Dr. Akassoglou is a Fellow of the American Neurological Association (ANA) and elected Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), and Lifetime Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).
Dr. Akassoglou earned a BSc degree in biology and a PhD in neuroimmunology at the Hellenic Pasteur Institute and the University of Athens, Greece. She was trained in neuropathology at the University of Vienna before performing postdoctoral work at the Rockefeller University and NYU. She started her laboratory in 2003 as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at UCSD where she was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. She is now a Senior Investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, a Professor of Neurology at UCSF, and the Director of the Center of Neurovascular Brain Immunology.
Hosted by - Mable Lam (Bradley Zuchero Lab)
About the Wu Tsai Neuro Seminar Series
The Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute seminar series brings together the Stanford neuroscience community to discuss cutting-edge, cross-disciplinary brain research, from biochemistry to behavior and beyond.
Topics include new discoveries in fundamental neurobiology; advances in human and translational neuroscience; insights from computational and theoretical neuroscience; and the development of novel research technologies and neuro-engineering breakthroughs.
Unless otherwise noted, seminars are held Thursdays at 12:00 noon PT.