Clinical Platform Presentation
CSF perturbation of human primary astrocytes to model the link between CSF pathogenicity and neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis, co-authors: Bianca A Trombetta, BA, Tiago da Silva, MS, Laura de Faria, MS, Elisa Bello, BS, Mugdha Deshpande, MS, Ranjan Dutta, PhD, Jillian M Richmond, PhD, Jean Pierre Schatzmann Peron, PhD, Christopher Hemond, MD, Carolina Ionete, MD, PhD
Presented by: Bianca A Trombetta, BA, second-year medical student, Clinical and Translational Research Program (CTRP) scholar, and neurology research assistant. Bianca graduated with a B.A. in Linguistics from Harvard University (’15) and completed the post-baccalaureate premedical program at HES before starting medical school at UMass Chan in the fall of 2022. After joining UMass Chan, Bianca began working with Mehdi Ghasemi, MD, until April 2023 contributing to a chart review study on the diagnostic timeline of ALS and genetic testing. Currently, she is a research assistant in the Neuroimmune Interactions Lab working with Jean Pierre Schatzmann Peron, PhD, Carolina Ionete, MD, PhD, and Christopher Hemond, MD, investigating the link between neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation in multiple sclerosis through primary cell culture, and working with patient samples from individuals with different subtypes of MS.
Bianca previously worked as a research technologist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in the Alzheimer's Clinical and Translational Research Unit under Dr. Steven Arnold from 2015-2022. Her research included investigating novel biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and assisting with clinical trials focused on understanding diverse pathophysiological pathways that may contribute to disease heterogeneity. As a lead technician of the biomarker core, she worked closely with academic and pharmaceutical collaborators to develop new assays for AD biomarkers. In 2019, due to the COVID pandemic, Bianca led research efforts at the Mass General Brigham Center for Covid Innovation, to evaluate at-home rapid antigen tests.
Bianca is interested in a career as a physician-scientist for neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's Disease in the context of other chronic comorbidities, through investigating ways to improve clinical care, accessibility of diagnostic tools, and a patient's quality of life. In the lab, her interests lie in neurodegeneration and neuroinflammation translational research; in particular, the molecular mechanisms of chronic disease and how that contributes to a constellation of clinical symptoms. She hopes to investigate novel therapeutic interventions and improvements in the clinical characterization of complex diagnoses, and to identify unmet patient needs towards developing more effective and supportive avenues of care.