Andrea Lobo,  —

Andrea Lobo is a Science writer at BioNews. She holds a Biology degree and a PhD in Cell Biology/Neurosciences from the University of Coimbra-Portugal, where she studied stroke biology. She was a postdoctoral and senior researcher at the Institute for Research and Innovation in Health in Porto, in drug addiction, studying neuronal plasticity induced by amphetamines. As a research scientist for 19 years, Andrea participated in academic projects in multiple research fields, from stroke, gene regulation, cancer, and rare diseases. She authored multiple research papers in peer-reviewed journals. She shifted towards a career in science writing and communication in 2022.

Articles by Andrea Lobo

Listener training study wins grant to help patients communicate

A research project that’s designed to help improve communication for people with Parkinson’s disease by focusing on listener training has been awarded a $2.6 million, five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The funding will help researchers implement a structured listener training program and test its effectiveness in…

Effort will automate ANPD001 cell therapy production for Parkinson’s

Mytos and Aspen Neuroscience are teaming up to automate the manufacture of autologous dopaminergic neuronal precursor cells (DNPCs) for ANPD001, Aspen’s experimental cell therapy program for Parkinson’s disease. As part of the agreement, Aspen will integrate Mytos’ iDEM automated cell culture technology into its new manufacturing…

Free APDA conference for patients, caregivers slated for February

The American Parkinson Disease Association (APDA) has announced that it will host its third annual, free, virtual conference for people with Parkinson’s disease and their caregivers on Feb. 19-20. The program is scheduled to run from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET each day. Tailored to “educate, empower…

Vyalev helped man sleep better at night, move during day: Report

Treatment with Vyalev (foscarbidopa and foslevodopa) eased motor symptoms and sleep disturbances in a 50-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease and a history of dream enactment behavior, according to a case report from Japan. Dream enactment behavior is a sign of rapid eye movement (REM) sleep disorder, in which…

As temperatures rise, risks climb for people with Parkinson’s

People with neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease or dementia are more vulnerable to heat-related complications than those without these conditions, according to a commentary by two neurologists. Medical providers should be trained to understand how heat waves can affect these people, the viewpoint advised. It was co-written by Indu…

Adaptive DBS consistently eased Parkinson’s symptoms in man, 61

Adaptive deep brain stimulation (aDBS) resulted in long-lasting relief from bradykinesia and walking difficulties in a 61-year-old Parkinson’s disease patient, whose quality of life also improved, researchers wrote in a case report about the man. Unlike conventional DBS (cDBS), where electric brain stimulation is constant or adjusted manually…

Study links brain atrophy to tremor progression in Parkinson’s

In people with Parkinson’s disease, shrinkage in tremor-related brain areas is associated with the progression of motor symptoms, according to a study. In the brain’s gray matter, which contains cell bodies of neurons, this shrinkage, or atrophy, of tremor-related regions and the whole brain over two years was associated…

Tracer to diagnose Parkinson’s via PET scans moving into clinical trial

A consortium dubbed Center Without Walls is planning to begin human testing of specific positron emission tomography (PET) radiotracers, which its scientists identified, to detect toxic proteins like alpha-synuclein, helping diagnose and monitor Parkinson’s and similar diseases. Funded by a five-year, $30 million grant from the National Institutes of…