Researcher from Insubria awarded in London

A few days ago, Isabella Barbiero, a researcher from Insubria University’s Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, which is led by Professor Charlotte Kilstrup-Nielsen, received a Junior Fellowship of $10,000, in London, at the CDKL5 Forum.

“Mutations in the CDKL5 gene lead to the onset of a very rare, very serious neurological disorder, known as the CDKL5 disorder, which is characterised by epileptic seizures that occur primarily in girls, within the first three months of life, that are often resistant to drugs. Moreover, patients have severe mental retardation, a  reduction in motor skills, and autistic traits,” Professor Kilstrup-Nielsen explained. “The main goal of my laboratory is to characterise the molecular defects linked to the loss of CDKL5, and use this information to design new therapeutic strategies.”

In this field, Dr Barbiero has assessed the therapeutic potential of a number of neurosteroids for the CDKL5 disorder. Dr Barbiero, 32, from Carnago, near Varese, graduated in Biomedical Sciences at Insubria University, and attended the Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology of the Biology and Life Science Department in Villa Mana, Busto Arsizio, during her university studies, where she also obtained her Doctorate in Neurobiology.

Isabella Barbiero received the award on 22 October, during the CDKL5 Forum, in London, from Majid Jafar, the President and founder of the Loulou foundation (http://www.louloufoundation.org/index.html), which funds research into the CDKL5 disorder. The researcher was awarded for her contribution to the current knowledge of the CDKL5 functions; her results have been published in international magazines in the last two years.