Céline Galvagnion says: “Ageing is the highest risk factor for Parkinson’s Disease (PD). PD is characterised by the loss of specific cells and the deposition of protein clumps in specific areas in patients’ brains. The rationale behind this selective vulnerability is not yet understood although required for a better understanding of the early events and the progression of PD. Our brain is the second richest organ in lipid (fat) molecules, and each brain area or cell type is characterised by a specific lipid composition.
My research aims at testing the hypothesis that the specific lipid composition of brain areas and cells is at the origin of their selective vulnerability to ageing and PD. First, I will investigate the lipid composition of brain areas and cells of PD patients in order to identify lipids associated with a higher vulnerability to ageing and PD. Then, I will study at the molecular level how these lipids can lead to the formation of protein clumps resembling those found in PD patients’ brains.”

In 2019 Céline Galvagnion relocated from her postdoctoral position at German Centre for Neurodegenerative diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany to Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, University of Copenhagen, where she is establishing her independent research group.