The Ladders to Cures (L2C) Accelerator is an ambitious new initiative whose mission is to catalyze progress across the research ecosystem and accelerate advances leading to treatments and cures for patients with rare genetic diseases.To fulfill our mission, we aim to develop and deploy scalable technologies to investigate disease mechanisms and to accelerate the development of therapeutic strategies. We are particularly interested in discovering shared “nodal” mechanisms between many rare – or rare and common – genetic diseases to accelerate our ability to develop targeted, precision therapies.

As a scientific advisor to the principal investigator, Anna Greka, M.D., Ph.D., my role consists of advising the members of the laboratory in the development of precision therapies for difficult-to-treat diseases with a special interest in genetically defined disorders. Our team focuses on a detailed, mechanistic understanding of disease pathways and circuits as the foundation for the development of targeted therapeutics. Specifically, the lab studies mechanisms of cell survival and metabolic regulation, with an emphasis on calcium signaling and transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channel biology. Applying this expertise to the study of kidney podocytes, the laboratory recently identified a specific TRPC5 channel blocker as the first mechanism-based therapeutic strategy for FSGS, a progressive kidney disease.2020-2022 MIT Communications Lab Fellow

Partnering with Magnetic Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm, to invest in companies at the intersection of life science and technology to help solve previously intractable problems in healthcare. https://magneticvc.com/

Cure Alzheimer's Fund has donated over $165 million to over 620 basic science research projects and is a non-profit organization dedicated to funding basic science research with the highest probability of preventing, slowing or reversing Alzheimer’s disease.The vision for Cure Alzheimer’s Fund is to apply principles from venture capital and corporate startups to build an organization specifically designed to accelerate research, make bold bets, and eradicate neurodegenerative diseases. 100% of all donations go to research.

Commissioned, edited and guided 100+ review articles through peer-review covering a large variety of topics for one of the leading journals in the field of neuroscience https://www.cell.com/neuron/home

www.knowingneurons.com

Dissertation: Identifying the network of genes responsible for early onset Alzheimer's Disease in Down Syndrome patients. Exploring the neuroprotective function role of DSCR1 in protecting against amyloid precursor protein-induced axonal transport defects. By using genetic tools to label, trace, and disrupt mitochondria function, we hope to uncover the mechanisms regulating mitochondrial transport and subcellular distribution in disease states.