Silvia Maioli

Silvia Maioli

Senior Research Specialist | Docent
Visiting address: Blickagången 6, 14157 Huddinge
Postal address: H1 Neurobiologi, vårdvetenskap och samhälle, H1 Neurogeriatrik Maioli, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • I am research group leader and Docent (Associate Professor).

    With a PhD from the University of Bologna and a postdoc at KI, I have been immersed in the field of neuroscience, particularly Alzheimer’s Disease (AD), since 2011. My research focuses on investigating the mechanisms for risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease, with a specific emphasis on ApoE, cholesterol metabolism, and oxysterols.

    I am currently the main supervisor for 2 PhD students in my lab and a co-supervisor for 3 PhD students. I have directed two PhD theses as the main supervisor.

    I have extensive knowledge of mouse behavior and mouse models of neurodegenerative disease, and I am Facility Coordinator for the Animal Behavior Core Facility (ABCF) at KI. In addition, I work with different molecular biology techniques.

Research

  • My research is focused on understanding the biological mechanisms behind risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's Disease (AD), with a focus on sex-differences.

    Changes in brain cholesterol metabolism occurs in early stages of the disease and are considered important drivers of the neurodegenerative cascades in AD. AD risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, lifestyle, affect brain cholesterol metabolism. I study the role of cholesterol metabolites and transporters in the brain during neurodegenerative processes by using in vitro and in vivo models, as well as human samples. In addition, I am interested in the connection between cholesterol metabolism and sex hormones. Sex hormones, including estrogen and testosterone, originate from cholesterol and promote neuroprotective functions in the brain. Both cholesterol and sex hormones are shaped by genes and the environment (for example medications, diet), serving as potential preventive and therapeutic targets for AD.

    Another topic in the lab is multi-medication therapies and related sex-differences. We study the effects of different combinations of drugs commonly used in AD comorbidities using mouse models and human data from different clinical cohorts

Teaching

  • I am course director for the PhD Course 5239 Behavioral Analysis in Rodents: Classic and Novel Approaches, Neuroscience Programme, Karolinska Institutet.

    I teach in courses/study programmes at Karolinska Institutet:
    - Clinical Research School in Molecular Medicine.
    - PhD course 5539: Alzheimer’s Disease – Clinical features and pathogenic mechanisms.
    - Advanced course in Alzheimer’s Disease and other dementias.
    - Frontiers in Biomedicine (4Bi107) Master’s Programme in Biomedicine.

    Until now I have been supervisor for 15 master students .

Selected publications

Articles

All other publications

Grants

  • Finansieringsförslag för en kryostat inom inom Avdelningen för Neurogeriatrik
    Olle Engkvists Stiftelse
    1 January 2024
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2026
  • Cholesterol metabolism and sex hormones in Alzheimer’s Disease: from basic mechanisms to precision medicine.
    The private initiative “Innovative ways to fight Alzheimer’s disease - Leif Lundblad Family and others”
    1 November 2023 - 31 October 2026
  • Sex specific effects of CYP46A1 up regulation in brain: roles and implication for cholesterol turnover in neurodegenerative diseases.
    KID funding
    1 January 2022 - 31 December 2025
  • Understanding the role of menopause and estrogen receptor activation for Alzheimer's disease risk.
    National Institutes of Health
    30 September 2020 - 31 May 2024

Employments

  • Senior Research Specialist, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 2022-

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2023

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