Dr. Gabriela Bodea

Dr Gabriela Bodea completed her PhD with highest honours (Summa cum laude) in April 2014 in the laboratory of Prof. Sandra Blaess at the University of Bonn, Germany. Dr Bodea's PhD work was focused on understanding the developmental mechanisms involved in generating neuronal diversity in the mammalian brain. In June 2014, Dr Bodea joined the Genome Plasticity and Disease group at the Mater Research Institute, Australia, where she began investigating the role of LINE-1 retrotransposons, a class of mobile DNA elements colloquially referred to as "jumping genes", in creating genetic variability within neurons. In 2017, Dr Bodea moved to the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, to continue her work on understanding the impact of LINE-1 retrotransposon activity on specific subpopulations of neurons, focusing on its link to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's. Dr Bodea's current research integrates neuroscience and cellular and molecular biology approaches to investigates how early-life stressors (such as viral infections) disrupt neuronal function and lead to neurodegenerative disease later in life. 

Dr Bodea's work has been supported by prestigious fellowships awarded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Scheme. Dr. Bodea has published in top journals, such as Nat. Neurosci., Cell, Cell Reports, Genome Research, and Development. Dr Bodea has also been involved in the training and mentorship of PhD students and participated in course coordination and lecturing activities.