Dr. Estela Area-Gomez
I received my Ph.D. from the Autonomous University of Madrid from Spain, after which I transitioned into the field of mitochondrial research and neurodegeneration as a post-doctoral research scientist at the Merritt Center in the Neurology Department at Columbia University. In 2014, I joined the faculty of the Neurology department at Columbia University as an Assistant Professor. In 2021, I have moved the lab to CSIC in Madrid, Spain.
My laboratory currently has three major research goals:
To understand the role of mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM) in the overall lipid homeostasis of neurons
To understand whether perturbations in mitochondria-associated ER membranes (MAM) and lipid signaling underlie synaptic dysfunction and/or neuronal death in various disorders, including Alzheimer's disease and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
To identify lipid biomarkers that either segregate with or predict clinical outcomes of neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Down syndrome.
To tackle these fundamental questions, my lab employs multidisciplinary approaches, which range from molecular and cell biology, protein, and lipid biochemistry (including state-of-the-art ‘lipidomics’-based approaches) to mouse genetics and behavioral assessments of genetically-modified mice.