Sofia Syntaka
Academic and Work Experience Prior to Sept 2020 Programme Start
I completed my undergraduate degree in Biology at the University of Crete, Greece. For my final year project, I investigated the impact of DNA damage accumulation on macrophages using a transgenic mouse model of ageing. Afterwards, I completed a MRes in Translational Neuroscience at University College London and Queen Square Institute of Neurology. For my thesis, I worked with Professor Sonia Gandhi at the Francis Crick Institute focusing on the generation of microglia from human iPSCs to investigate the role of neuroinflammation in Parkinson’s disease.
PhD Programme- Year 1- MRes and Project Rotations
During my first rotation, I worked with Professor Benedikt Berninger at the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, IoPPN investigating the reprogramming of human glia into induced neurons for brain repair.
In my second rotation, I worked with Dr. Ivo Lieberam at the Centre for Stem Cells & Regenerative Medicine (CSCRM) towards the development of a human iPSC-derived in vitro model of neuroinflammation. Specifically, we used forward reprogramming to derive astrocytes from patient-specific iPSCs and studied their involvement in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in co-cultures with motor neurons.
In my third rotation, I worked with Dr. Subhankar Mukhopadhyay at the MRC Centre for Transplantation to investigate how the immuno-regulatory lipid mediator PGE2 modulates inflammatory responses in human iPSC-derived microglia.
PhD Programme- Years 2 to 4- Doctoral Studies
For my PhD project, I will work with Dr Ivo Lieberam and Professor Sonia Gandhi at the CSCRM and the Francis Crick Institute. The project will focus on iPSC-derived glial cells to uncover the role of neuroinflammation in ALS, a neurodegenerative disorder characterised by a progressive loss of motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, spinal cord and brainstem.
