Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

Margarida is a biochemist (University of Porto, Portugal) with a PhD in biomedical sciences (VIB and KULeuven, Belgium). Her main interest is science communication. She is also passionate about design and the dialogue between art and science.

Articles by Margarida Maia

Dancing shown to ease depression in Parkinson’s disease

Weekly dance classes may help attenuate symptoms of depression in people with Parkinson’s disease, which results in changes in the brain toward better emotional control, a study from York University in Toronto suggests. “We’re not trying to cure Parkinson’s with dance,” Joseph DeSouza, PhD, who led the study, said…

Top 10 Parkinson’s stories of 2024

In 2024, Parkinson’s News Today kept readers informed with updates on the latest research, treatments, and clinical trials for Parkinson’s disease. Here are the 10 most-read stories in 2024, each with a short summary. We look forward to continuing to support the Parkinson’s community and sharing informative stories…

Astrocytes seen helping maintain circadian rhythms: Mouse study

Neuron-supporting cells called astrocytes produce regular pulses of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), a chemical that suppresses excessive brain activity, that appear to help maintain the body’s circadian rhythms and consistent sleep-wake cycles. That’s according to a study in mice. The findings, if confirmed in humans, may “help us to better understand…