Postdoctoral researcher in Translational Neuroscience

The Translational Neuroscience team's focus lies in the identification of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets for Parkinson’s disease (PD), aimed at bridging the gap between fundamental research and clinical research by embedding the “bed to bench to bedside” research approach. Fundamental research focuses on induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived neuronal models to elucidate the molecular and cellular alterations contributing to neurodegeneration in familial and idiopathic forms of PD, Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), atypical parkinsonism (e.g. PSP or MSA), and REM sleep behaviour disorder (RBD). Newly discovered molecular targets and disease-associated cellular phenotypes are used as readouts in drug screening approaches, to identify molecules that, after in vitro and in vivo validation, could be potentially used in future intelligent clinical trials. The clinical research focus is part of the National Centre for Excellence in Research on Parkinson’s Disease (NCER-PD ), an initiative originally funded by the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR).

Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains one of the most prevalent neurodegenerative movement disorders, yet its early pathogenic mechanisms are poorly understood. Recent findings from the Luxembourg PD cohort suggest that terminally differentiated effector memory CD8 T cells (CD8 TEMRA) play a critical role in the early phase of idiopathic PD (iPD), potentially through antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

This project aims to investigate the pathophysiological role of CD8 TEMRA-mediated ADCC in individuals at the prodromal stage of PD, particularly those affected by REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD), a high-risk group for developing PD. Using cutting-edge technologies including iPSC-based dopaminergic neuron modeling, single-cell transcriptomics, and genome-scale auto-antibody profiling, the project seeks to uncover novel immune mechanisms underlying early neurodegeneration and identify potential predictive biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Key Responsibilities:

• Perform deep immunophenotyping of CD8 T cell subsets in cohorts of RBD participants and healthy controls
• Screen for autoantibodies using genome-scale protein microarrays and focus arrays
• Differentiate iPSCs into midbrain dopaminergic neurons and perform single-cell RNA sequencing
• Conduct co-culture experiments to validate CD8 TEMRA-mediated ADCC on patient-derived neurons
• Analyze complex immunological, transcriptomic, and cellular datasets
• Collaborate closely with interdisciplinary teams of immunologists, neuroscientists, and clinicians
• Prepare manuscripts, reports, and present findings at national and international conferences