Science Spotlight: Dr. Nunes Santos & Miss Della Posta

Luana Nunes Santos, Ph.D., postdoctoral fellow and Ariana Della Posta, research assistant, under Maria Kontaridis, Ph.D., executive director, are working on autism research. Most recently the duo is focused on understanding the molecular connection underlying congenital heart defect (CHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

The studies being conducted aim to determine the consequences and the cellular mechanisms leading to both brain and heart development in patients with both conditions using cutting-edge science, such as induced Pluripotency Stem Cell (iPSC) to generate brain organoids and cardiomyocytes, gene editing approach (CRISPR) and microscopy techniques. The results from those projects will provide the basis to identify potential targets for novel therapeutics for patients with CHD and ASD.