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Dr Maria Teresa Ferretti
Name:
Dr Maria Teresa Ferretti
Job Title:
Clinical Operations and Partnership Manager, Syntropic Medical, Austria
Place of work / study:
Center for Alzheimer Research, Karolinska (affiliated researcher)
Area of Research:
I am a neuroscientist with 20-year experience in the field of brain research and in particular Alzheimer’s disease research. One aspect I am particularly interested about is sex and gender differences.
How is your work funded:
N/A
Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a neuroscientist and science advocate with over 20 years of international experience in brain research, and a unique expertise in Alzheimer and sex and gender differences. I earned my Master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from the University of Cagliari, Italy, in 2005, followed by an internship at GlaxoSmith&Kline’s Center of Excellence for Drug Discovery in Harlow, England. In 2011 I completed my PhD in Pharmacology and Therapeutics at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and joined the Nitsch lab at University of Zurich’s (the lab that discovered aducanumab), first as postdoc and then as group leader at the Zurich Neuroscience Center (Switzerland).
In 2016, I co-founded the non-profit ‘Women’s Brain Project,’ dedicated to exploring sex and gender impacts on brain and mental health for precision medicine, where I served as Chief Scientific Officer for several years. I led international projects with organizations like the WHO, ADI, EAN, EFNA, and EBC. I have published numerous peer-reviewed papers as well as special issues and books, including the first textbook on sex and gender differences in Alzheimer’s disease, with Elsevier, in 2021.
My passion for scientific communication led to numerous keynote lectures as well as frequent appearances in media interviews, podcasts, and documentaries, including the BBC. For the lay public I delivered two TED-x talks and authored two books: ‘Una bambina senza testa’ and ‘Alzheimer Revolution’ (Ed. Mondo Nuovo, 2021 and 2022).
Currently, I am the Clinical Operations and Partnerships manager at the Austrian startup Syntropic Medical, in Vienna, where I live. In Vienna I am also an External Teacher (Privat Dozent) at the Medical University. I continue teaching and doing research in the field of brain health as a faculty member of the Certificate for Advanced Studies (CAS) in Gender Medicine at the University of Zurich, and as an affiliated researcher at the Center for Alzheimer Research (CAR) at Karolinska.
A passionate science advocate, capable of building new platforms for inclusive discussions between scientists, clinicians and public, I work probono in several organizations. I am a member of the management group of the Coordinating Panel for Diversity Equity and Inclusion at the European Academy of Neurology (of which I am also fellow), the cofounder and Stakeholder Engagement Lead at Walking The Talk For Dementia, and the co-founder and Secretary of ASSAI, the association for the promotion of scientific exchanges between Italy and Austria supported by the Italian Embassy in Vienna.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I am a very curious person who likes to try things out and challenge myself out of my comfort zone. That’s how I find myself doing things like horseback riding, giving talks in German or walking a segment of the Camino de Santiago. No regrets ;).
Why did you choose to work in dementia:
I was Initially fascinated by the intellectual challenge – such a devastating disease and nobody had figured out yet exactly how it works. I fell in love with dementia research when I realized its actual impact – improving the lives of so many patients and carers with early diagnosis and new treatment.
What single piece of of advice would you give to an early career researcher?
You are good enough, go for it!
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
Re-reading for the gazillionth time ‘The unbearable lightness of being‘ by Milan Kundera. Absolute masterpiece, highly recommend – a book that has accompanied me over the years never losing its charme.
Favourite film of all time?
Recently, I absolutely loved Poor Things
Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?
Walking. I love wandering in a new city or just in a corner of my hometown that I don’t know.
What’s the best decision you ever made?
Choosing an unconventional career path that has allowed me to follow my passions and grow as a person.
What’s the best vacation spot?
By the sea at my homeplace, Sardinia, Italy 😉
Do you collect anything?
Fridge magnets from my trips
