Andrea Varrone

I am specialist in nuclear medicine, I hold a PhD degree in Functional Radioisotopic Imaging and have a broad competence and expertise in molecular imaging at pre-clinical and clinical research levels acquired during more than 20 years of activity in nuclear medicine. In the last 13 years at Karolinska Institutet, I have conducted pre-clinical and clinical research with positron emission tomography (PET), being responsible for methodological developments in PET quantification using the high-resolution research tomograph (HRRT) system. I lead the translational and clinical development and validation of novel PET radioligands for the study of neurodegenerative disorders with particular focus on Parkinson, Huntington and Alzheimer's disease. One example is the dopamine transporter radioligand [¹⁸F]FE-PE2I, for early diagnosis of Parkinson´s disease.

Education
1994, Medicine, University “Federico II”, Napoli, Italy
1995, License to practice Medicine (Italy)
1998, Specialist in Nuclear Medicine, University “Federico II”
1997-2000: Post-doctoral Associate, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
2003, PhD, Functional Radioisotopic Imaging, “SPECT imaging of the dopamine transporter in Parkinson´s disease and multiple system atrophy”, University “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy
2008, Approval from Socialstyrelsen of Medical License and Specialty in Nuclear Medicine

Academic Positions

2001-2007: Researcher, National Research Council, Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, Italy
2007-2011: Forskarassistent, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience
2011-06-01-2012-09-03: Forskare, Karolinska Institutet (Dnr 1060/10-607), Department of Clinical Neuroscience
2012-03-07: Docent i Nuklearmedicin
2012-09-04: Lektor i Nuklearmedicin, Karolinska Institutet
2023-09-04: Professor of Molecular Positron Emission Tomography, Karolinska Institutet

Awards

1997: Associazione Leonardo di Capua, Yale University School of Medicine
2005: Short-term mobility Program, National Research Council
2008: EANM Eckert & Ziegler Abstract Award
2014: Blue Ribbon selected abstract Movement Disorder Society Congress
2019: Plenary Lecture, European Association of Nuclear Medicine Congress

I am research group leader at the Centre for Psychiatry Research on Molecular imaging of neurodegenerative disorders. The main research interest is the development of imaging biomarkers to study pathological α-synuclein, immune cell activation, neurodegeneration and synaptopathy in Parkinson´s disease and related disorders. The main goal of my research is to develop imaging markers for early diagnosis of parkinsonism and dementia, for the assessment of disease progression and for their use as biomarkers for clinical trials with disease-modifying treatments.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

The accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein is a pathological hallmark of PD and is associated with synaptic dysfunction, neuroinflammation and neuronal loss. Based on experimental findings reported over the last two decades, the current hypothesis of α-synuclein-induced pathology in PD is that the accumulation of aggregates in axons and terminals induce neuroinflammation and synaptopathy, leading to dying-back degeneration of dopaminergic neurons.

The primary objective of my research is to study the interplay between protein misfolding, neurodegeneration and microglia activation in PD (Fig. 1), through the development and application of fit-for-purpose molecular imaging markers. My plan is to unravel the association between α-synuclein pathology, neuroinflammation and synaptic density in animal models of PD, through the development and application of selective PET imaging markers. The translation of this approach to humans will be key to understand the association between α-synuclein accumulation, neuroinflammation and synaptic density and to assess the efficacy of treatments aimed to lowering brain α-synuclein.

Figure 1. To study the interaction between accumulation of misfolded α-synuclein, neurodegeneration and microglia activation is key to understand the pathological mechanisms implicated in PD.

Post-graduate courses at Karolinska Institutet

Course responsible, coordinator, lecturer and examiner at the Course for Postdoctoral students 2362 “Positron emission tomography imaging of the CNS”, one week course, 1.5 ECTS credits, during the following terms: VT10, VT11, VT12, VT13, VT15, VT17, VT19.

Course coordinator, course planning and lecturer at the Course for Research School in Psychiatry K8F2021 “Molecular, functional and structural neuroimaging in psychiatry research”, one week course, 1.5 ECTS credits, during the term HT10.