Ana Pena, PhD,  —

Ana is a molecular biologist with a passion for communication and discovery. As a science writer, her goal is to provide readers, in particular patients and healthcare providers, with clear and quality information about the latest medical advances. Ana holds a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Lisbon, Portugal, where she specialized in infectious diseases, epigenetics, and gene expression.

Articles by Ana Pena

Immune Biomarkers May Better Classify Patients, Direct Therapy, Study Says

Biomarkers of brain inflammation could provide a useful means for classifying Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients and defining the mechanisms underpinning each person’s disease. Testing for these biomarkers could support clinicians in providing precision medicine, by helping people with the progressive neurodegenerative disorders to choose treatments with a greater…

Dizziness May Be Non-Motor Symptom of Early Parkinson’s, Study Finds

Dizziness — including sensations of fainting, imbalance, and vertigo — is common among Parkinson’s patients and may be a potential non-motor symptom of early-stage disease possibly associated with cognitive decline, a study has found. Typically, dizziness episodes are short and frequent, lasting seconds to minutes and occurring several times…

Researchers Identify Gene Networks Underlying Parkinson’s Development

Researchers have found new gene networks associated with the development of Parkinson’s disease, which may help them understand the underlying mechanisms of this neurodegenerative disorder and identify potential new therapeutic targets. The study, “The landscape of multiscale transcriptomic networks and key regulators in Parkinson’s disease,” was published in…