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

OneRF ablation system gets ICD-10-PCS CMS procedure code

NeuroOne Medical Technologies said the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) granted a new ICD-10-PCS code to its OneRF Ablation procedure, a development the company said will lead to greater use of the technology. Effective Oct. 1, hospitals will be allowed to report inpatient procedures performed with…

Dopamine signaling linked to emotion recognition, study finds

Researchers at the University of Birmingham have shown that reducing dopamine signaling in the brain can impair people’s ability to recognize emotions or understand others’ mental states (mentalizing), symptoms that may be experienced by those with Parkinson’s disease. The study, “Disruption of dopamine D2/D3 system function impairs the…

MJFF, Merck partner on service for biomarker detection in Parkinson’s

Merck, in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF), is providing a service to the scientific community to detect low levels of phospho-serine [pS65]-Ub, a biomarker associated with nerve cell dysfunction in people with Parkinson’s disease. The SMCxPRO platform is an ultrasensitive…

Scientists discover how PINK1 pathway activates to protect cells

Scientists at the University of Dundee in Scotland said they have uncovered the mechanisms behind the activation of the PINK1 protein, an enzyme that protects the brain against nerve cell degeneration and the development of Parkinson’s disease. They discovered how PINK1, which detects damage in mitochondria — the cell’s…

High-performance brain imaging may aid diagnosis, treatment

A new ultra-high-performance brain imaging PET system called NeuroEXPLORER allows for the direct imaging of deep regions of the brain, that is, the brain nuclei, and may help diagnose and advance treatments for brain diseases, including Parkinson’s disease. The research was presented at the 2024 Society of Nuclear…

Alchemab wins $595,000 MJFF grant for Parkinson’s research

The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF) has awarded a $595,000 grant to Alchemab Therapeutics to advance research on the therapeutic effects of an antibody targeting the prostaglandin pathway in people with Parkinson’s disease. The grant comes from the foundation’s Parkinson’s Disease Therapeutics Pipeline Program,…

LRRK2, other gene mutations shared by IBD, Parkinson’s: Study

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have identified LRRK2 gene mutations as a common element in both inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), an umbrella name for disorders marked by prolonged inflammation of the digestive tract, and Parkinson’s disease. The study also identified genes involved in inflammation…

Parkinson’s support networks vital in rural areas, researchers say

Support networks are important for people with Parkinson’s disease, and patients in rural areas don’t always have access to information that would help improve their lives, Central Michigan University researchers said. The researchers are wrapping up a year-long project studying whether creating support networks in underserved U.S. rural communities…