NADIS 1.0 Interview: Michela Deleidi
What inspired you to become a neuroscientist and what interested you in this field?
Michela: I’m a neurologist by training. So, when I was in my medical training doing my neurology residency, what I really liked, and I what I was inspired by, was the fact that I was treating patients with devastating effects on patients and families. Such as neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Parkinson’s disease. I felt that I could and I should do more to understand the pathogenesis, the origins of these diseases.
You also published a lot of articles on NAD⁺ precursors to rescue mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease.
What do you think are implications of this research for future therapies?
Michela: I think this is a very, very relevant question. So, what we have shown is that in experimental models, NAD⁺ boosters are protective and improve resilience of dopaminergic neurons, which are involved in Parkinson’s disease.
I think it’s the right time now, and this is what we are doing within the NADIS Consortium, is to establish a novel paradigm that will help move this forward to clinical settings to understand how long-term treatments with these NAD⁺ boosters, and there are actually clinical trials ongoing in Parkinson’s disease, may help overall the disease progression be acting not only on neurons, but also on non-neuronal populations and glial cells.
So, the whole spectrum of Parkinson’s disease. It’s fascinating.
As a principal investigator in NADIS Network, what do you think are the most rewarding aspects to train young generation of scientists?
Michela: Yes, so, I need to say that this has been my first consortium I’ve been part of, and it has been a really fantastic network, and a combination of interest in diseases and really common interests. We always said that there was a special chemistry since the first day we started working together. Actually, it was in Genova during the first NADIS meeting.
I think that the most rewarding aspect of this consortium has been the spirit of community and the common goals that I have never experienced, and really this spirit of collaborations. You always see when we meet, both online or in this particular occasion (ARDD meeting Copenhagen), at conferences, in meetings or our annual meetings, we really have common goals. All doctoral students in the network became critical scientists and developed critical thinking for the common goal. That is really to understand how these NAD⁺-based therapies work, both at the mechanistic levels and the therapeutic levels.
So, this has been the most rewarding aspect of this network.
The NADIS network is focused on NAD⁺ metabolism, and it’s a rapidly evolving field. So looking forward, what do you think is the next big question that we need to answer in the field of NAD⁺ metabolism, and how do you think NADIS 2.0 could help answering that question?
Michela: I think that we should really work together, because we have to go to humans and to look at the humans. We are a body, right? Everybody’s focusing at the moment on its favorite organ or tissue, and I think the challenge is really to see how these therapies also modulate, improve these cross-tissue communications, and this is really the next goal of our continuation for NADIS.
In fact, we will bring together all our different expertise to understand the complex wave of action of these NAD⁺ boosters.
I have one final question for you. What is your biggest advice or recommendation for young scientists who want to enter the field of NAD⁺ research?
Michela: It’s general advice but be and stay curious. Build your foundation, build your own network.
This is really important for the rest of your professional and also personal life. This all started from personal network and common interest, and also be patient. Science takes time, but it’s really rewarding.
Thank you so much Michela.