Dr. Pierluigi Nicotera

Biography

Prof. Pierluigi Nicotera obtained his PhD at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, where he worked as Research Assistant Professor/Senior University Lecturer from 1986 to 1994. In 1995, he became Professor and Chairman of Molecular Toxicology at the University of Konstanz. In 2002, he was recruited as Director of the British Medical Research Council (MRC) Toxicology Unit and Honorary Professor of Neuroscience (Dept. of Cell Physiology & Pharmacology), University of Leicester. Since 2009, he is the Scientific and Executive Director of DZNE (Deutsches Zentrum für Neurodegenerative Erkrankungen), Bonn, Germany.

Research Interest

Brain complexity is reflected in the number of communication points - called synapses - between individual nerve cells. It is estimated that the human brain has approximately 1014 synapses. Neurons have the capability to shape the number and distribution of synapses in order to refine local activity. During pathological conditions, uncontrolled large-scale pruning of neuronal processes can trigger neuronal dysfunction and, ultimately, degeneration. Thus, loss of connectivity compromises neuronal activity and destabilizes neuronal information processing, which is a key event in the onset of cognitive impairment. Understanding the pathways involved in this non-physiological neuronal remodeling will help to prevent excessive synaptic pruning and therefore will aid in the development of interventions against cognitive dysfunction during ageing and pathological conditions. Our primary area of interest is the molecular mechanisms underlying the inaccurate and excessive loss of neuronal branches and how this process can lead to neurological deficits. We aim to identify potential useful targets for the development of new therapeutic approaches to preserve normal connectivity. Our current work focuses on: Small non-coding RNAs and learning and memory (A. Piyanova, A. Fornarelli) Mitochondrial DNA and neuronal function (K. Meyer)