Dear all, I am glad to announce the Seminar of Prof. Gilberto Fisone, Head of the Department of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute.

The seminar will be held at 1pm, in Aula Aula Buzzati Traverso (Palazzo di Genetica, opposite of the  CNR Institute of Human Genetics, Polo Cravino, Via Ferrata)

Sensitized dopamine transmission in the parkinsonian brain:

Studies on motor and non-motor complications

Gilberto Fisone

Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Sweden

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is diagnosed based on the emergence of rest tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, which develop in response to the progressive loss of midbrain dopaminergic neurons projecting to the dorsal striatum. Administration of L-DOPA corrects for these motor symptoms, but its prolonged administration leads to the development of choreic and dystonic involuntary movements, generally referred to as dyskinesia. In addition, treatment with L-DOPA results in neuropsychiatric disorders, such as dopamine dysregulation syndrome a non-motor complication characterized by over consumption of dopaminergic medications despite negative physical and social consequences. This seminar will present recent findings indicating the potential beneficial effect of autophagy promoting drugs for the treatment of L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia. A mouse model of PD reproducing some aspects of dopamine dysregulation syndrome will also be discussed.

Gilberto’s lab investigates the cellular and signalling mechanisms associated to basal ganglia dysfunction, primarily in the context of Parkinson’s Disease.  It is a great occasion for you as a PhD student to get involve in cutting edge research in the pathogenetic mechanisms of neurodegerative disorders.

Gilberto will be in Pavia for a series of Lectures for the Master Degree in Neurobiology, from Monday 20 till Thursday 23 (included). Therefore, if you wish to informally talk to him next week, please let me know (riccardo.brambilla@unipv.it) and I’ll organise a chat with him.

Many thanks and hopefully see you there at the seminar.