Patrizia Casaccia, MD, PhD

Director, Neuroscience Initiative
Einstein Professor of Biology
The Graduate Center, CUNY

Dr. Casaccia received her medical degree with Honors from the University of Rome, and a Ph.D. degree in Neurobiology from State University of New York (SUNY) Health and Science Center Brooklyn. She trained at Cornell Weill Medical Center in New York and at the Skirball Institute for Molecular Medicine at NYU.

Dr. Casaccia’s work adopts molecular and cellular techniques to understand how glial cells (more specifically myelinating oligodendrocytes) modify genes to acquire their identity and how the environment (i.e. social influences and physical space) may modify this process, thereby affecting myelin formation and disease susceptibility. The approach involves study of human-derived samples, mouse models, large unbiased “omics” approaches to study proteins, lipids and genome-wide changes. In addition, the lab has a strong interest in defining mechanisms of neurodegeneration in order to develop novel therapeutics.