Contact information
Nancy Olazagoitia Zevallos
BSc MSc
Research Assistant in Motor Neuron Disease
Research groups
Research Assistant in Motor Neuron Disease
I am a research assistant on the collaborative project “Translating novel ALS and FTD fluid biomarkers of TDP-43 pathology towards the clinic” funded by the Target ALS Biomarker Consortia Grant. This project brings together academic and industry partners to develop fluid-based biomarkers for ALS and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), with a particular focus on TDP-43 pathology, which is a key hallmark of both diseases.
My work centres on the discovery, validation, and translation of biomarkers that reflect TDP-43 dysfunction. I apply advanced molecular techniques to detect pathological protein and RNA species in extracellular vesicles isolated from blood and cerebrospinal fluid. The ultimate goal is to develop biomarkers for patient stratification, disease progression monitoring, and therapeutic response assessment in clinical trials, helping to advance diagnostic and treatment strategies for ALS and FTD.
In addition, I am the main research assistant for two clinical trial studies: ALS-Biomarkers and ITERALS.
ALS-Biomarkers focuses on the characterisation of a panel of disease biomarkers in peripheral blood from individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)/motor neuron disease (MND), while ITERALS focuses on biomarkers for individualised treatment response in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.