About the project

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major clinical and societal burden in Western societies and there is still a considerable unmet need for disease-modifying therapies, despite recent breakthroughs with monoclonal antibodies targeting amyloid-beta accumulation. Endothelial dysfunction and how the neuroimmune response modulates tissue perfusion and blood-brain-barrier integrity are understudied aspects of its pathophysiology and could be targeted in combination regimens with anti-amyloid drugs. A coding AD risk variant within the ABI3 gene could be the key to elucidating how changes in the vascular-neuroimmune crosstalk affect disease progression. Matteo’s work will dissect its mechanism of action through murine models of neurodegeneration, in vivo imaging, and integrative multi-omics on large AD patient cohorts.

About the Hector Fellow Academy Doctoral Program

Every year, the Hector Fellow Academy supports several doctoral positions for young scientists working under the supervision of a Hector Fellow. Doctoral students receive a funded position along with extensive research funding, membership in the Academy network, collaboration with the Hector Fellows, training in management topics, and other training activities and networking events.