Dr Andrea Kwakowsky's primary research interest is in the molecular and cellular basis of brain function in Alzheimer's disease (AD), Huntington's disease (HD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS). This research involves multi-disciplinary studies using invaluable human tissue, animal models, and advanced scientific technologies, including the newest molecular and imaging techniques. Dr Kwakowsky is a graduate of Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary (MSc and PhD). She has held academic positions at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, Hungary (Junior Research Fellow), the University of Otago, New Zealand (Postdoctoral Fellow, Research Fellow), and the University of Auckland, New Zealand (Senior Research Fellow) before taking up a lectureship at the National University of Ireland Galway. She was awarded the prestigious Aotearoa Foundation Fellowship, the Alzheimer's New Zealand, and the Freemasons New Zealand Senior Research Fellowships. Dr Kwakowsky's ultimate goal is to find novel drug targets and therapeutic strategies for AD.

In the Kwakowsky laboratory, we conduct multi-disciplinary research that aims to transform the understanding of the pathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases and find novel drug targets and therapeutic strategies. I have a long-standing interest in understanding the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's disease and Multiple Sclerosis, and finding novel drug targets and therapeutic strategies. I am leading an integrated multidisciplinary research that involves studies using invaluable human tissue, animal and in vitro models, and advanced scientific technologies, including the newest molecular and imaging techniques and aims to understand the underlying pathology of these disorders and to determine whether manipulation of specific neuronal pathways could be part of an effective treatment. This research established the scientific basis for cell-type-specific modulation of neuronal networks and neuroinflammatory pathways as potential therapeutic interventions. Our recent findings on the excitatory/inhibitory remodelling in the Alzheimer's brain have opened new avenues in the development of disease-modifying therapies and drug approaches for the disease. Currently, my team's major research focus is on drug testing and the development of a brain stimulation therapy for AD. Through some projects, we aim to better understand the mechanism of action of the most promising identified drug candidates using electrophysiology, fiber photometry, behavioural testing, immunohistochemistry and RNA sequencing. We have also developed a novel cell-type-specific brain stimulation approach as a potential treatment to modulate the excitatory/inhibitory balance to restore neuronal activity and cognitive function in a mouse Alzheimer`s disease model. The focus of the current work is on the examination of the underlying mechanisms of the beneficial behavioural outcomes of the stimulation and refining the protocol to achieve the maximum possible therapeutic benefit and translation of the findings to the clinic. We are also exploring the potential of dietary interventions for dementia prevention and restoring cognitive performance. Research Interests: Neuroscience, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Human neurodegenerative diseases, Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate signalling, Estrogen signalling, Neurotrophin signalling, Neuroprotection, Neuroinflammation

PharmacologyNeurodegnerative disorders