Maria Karabova

I am a DPhil student sponsored by the Oxford-E P Abraham Graduate Scholarship. My primary interest lies in the molecular pathology of Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, I am studying the processing of tau-protein aggregates by human iPSc-derived macrophages and microglia.  

My academic journey started with a detour in medicine. During the studies, however, I realized that the methods and medication available, particularly with regards to the diseases of the brain, can often leave doctors applying plasters to gunshot wounds. A search for real advancements in the way we treat brain disorders led me to science. I completed my neuroscience training at the King’s College London in 2018 with a year in Industry at the UCI MIND Institute in California, USA. There, under the mentorship and supervision from Prof Carl Cotman, I worked on several projects, including the investigation of IL12/23-induced modulation of synaptic plasticity, elucidation of effective exercise patterns for long-term memory formation, and targeting H3K9me3 for treatment of cognitive decline associated with ageing and Alzheimer’s disease. Our work on the effect of early-life exercise on late-life cognitive reserve received the Gold Award in STEM for Britain 2018.