Since the very beginning of my scientific career my research has been focused on the molecular mechanisms of neuronal repair and plasticity focusing in Parkinson’s disease. I did a pioneering genetic screening of genes upregulated by L-DOPA treatment in an animal model of PD and deeply studied molecular changes triggered by levodopa treatment. Later, during a postdoc at King’s College London I used gene manipulation to study the molecular mechanisms that mediate axon navigation to their targets.

I stablished my lab as group leader at the University of Buenos Aires in 2013 and integrated my expertise and designed a gene therapy approach to knockdown the kinase fyn to reduce levodopa induced dyskinesia. We got support from the Michael J Fox Foundation and already published this development. My lab is currently working in novel molecular strategies to improve gene therapy approach to tackle dyskinesias. In parallel, we have a side research line focus in the mechanism of neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons, in particular, the protective role of “yerba mate” (a South American beverage) in primary cultures and in the alpha-synuclein Drosophila model of PD.