Dr. Li Puma has been working in the neuroscience field since 2011, when she started as PhD student in Biophysics under the supervision of Prof. Claudio Grassi.

Her contributions to the field ranged from identification of molecular and cellular mechanisms controlling adult neurogenesis to modulation of synaptic plasticity in neurodegenerative diseases and in particular in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Her main research interests include:

• role of viral infections (in particular Herpes simplex virus type 1) in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases;
• role of amyloid-β and Tau protein in promoting synaptic alterations and cognitive impairment in experimental models of AD;
• role of astrocytes in neuronal functions
• novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease;
• modulation of neural stem cell differentiation and adult hippocampal neurogenesis.