A dental surgeon by training, Ana Takakura graduated from Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho in 2002. She earned her Master’s and PhD in Pharmacology from the Federal University of São Paulo in 2005 and 2009, respectively. During her doctoral studies, she participated in a fellowship in Pharmacology at the University of Virginia in 2007. Currently, she is Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at the University of São Paulo. Her primary research focus is on understanding how the Central Nervous System of mammals regulates respiration. She identifies crucial neuronal networks in rodents using electrophysiological and neuroanatomical methods and studies the alterations in these networks in experimental models of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Parkinson’s Disease. In addition to her professional accomplishments, she is the proud mother of two girls, aged 12 and 8.
Ana C. Takakura
Life Sciences
Projects
Investigating the Link Between Neuronal Changes and Respiratory Function Alterations in Parkinson’s Disease
Science / Life Sciences
Breathing is undeniably a vital life process that must function flawlessly. The need to study diseases that become increasingly prevalent as we age, such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD), is growing. In addition to the classic movement-related symptoms of PD, respiratory system symptoms can also be common, particularly in more advanced stages of the disease. Utilizing innovative tools like proteomics and optogenetics, our project aims to investigate the following aspects in PD: 1) alterations in the brain structures responsible for controlling breathing, 2) the mechanisms causing these alterations, and 3) whether selective stimulation of these altered structures could potentially restore an adequate respiratory response.
Amount invested
Grant 2019: R$ 90.000,00
