Dr. Gabriela Bodea received her PhD in 2014 with highest honours (Summa cum laude) from the University of Bonn, Germany. Subsequently, Dr Bodea joined the Genome Plasticity and Disease group at the Mater Research Institute in Australia. Here, Dr. Bodea 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 joined the Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, where she is currently a Research Fellow in the Computational and Molecular Biology lab. Dr. Bodea's research aims to understand how the dynamic regulation of retrotransposons shapes neuronal identity in the mammalian brain and why certain neuronal subtypes are more susceptible to neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr Bodea's work has been supported by prestigious fellowships awarded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and the NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development. Dr. Bodea has published in top journals such as Nature Neuroscience, Cell Reports, Genome Research, and Development. Dr Bodea has also been involved in the training and mentorship of MSc and PhD students and participated in course coordination and lecturing activities.
Research in the Bredy laboratory is aimed at elucidating how the genome is connected to the environment through epigenetic modifications, and how this relationship shapes brain and behaviour throughout life. The group is particularly interested in how epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation, histone modifications. the activity of non-coding RNAs, and RNA modification regulate the formation and maintenance of associative fear-related memory.
Itia is an optical physicist and neuroscientist recently awarded an ARC DECRA fellowship. She is based at the Queensland Brain Institute in Brisbane. Her research focuses on studying the zebrafish brain using advanced techniques such as whole brain calcium imaging and specialized light shaping devices. Notably, she has pioneered the application of optical tweezers to simulate the zebrafish inner-ear's responses to acceleration and hearing, offering novel insights into sensory processing mechanisms. She has also engineered imaging systems for conducting optogenetic experiments with real-time feedback in zebrafish models. Beyond technique development, Itia explores the noradrenergic system in zebrafish, investigating its pivotal role in modulating sensory functions. Her interdisciplinary approach combines optical physics with neuroscience to advance our understanding of neural circuits and sensory perception mechanisms in zebrafish.
I am an early career neuroscientist investigating the capacity for neural progenitor cell behaviour to shape neural circuit formation, maintenance and function during development and throughout adulthood. More specifically, the role of oligodendrocyte progenitors and myelin in brain circuit formation and maintenance. My research examines the brain under health and pathological conditions by performing manipulations relevant to autism spectrum disorder, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia. While under the supervision of Prof Helen Cooper at the Queensland Brain Institute – University of Queensland - I studied how the WRC-Cyfip1-FMRP protein network impaired apical radial glial progenitor function and neural migration, leading to cortical malformation and Autism-like traits in mice. During my PhD at University of Tasmania and under the supervision of Prof Kaylene Young, I studied the effect of neuronal activity on cells of the oligodendrocyte lineage. I found that voltage-gated calcium channels are critical for oligodendrocyte progenitor cell survival and characterised the impact of kainite receptor dysfunction on neuropathology and behaviour in mice. Currently under the supervision of Dr Carlie Cullen I am using transgenic mice strategies to determine how aberrant myelination can contribute to onset of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. I am also using mouse models of demyelination to investigate the effect of infectious diseases such as COVID19 and influenza on oligodendrocyte lineage cell function and the impact for myelin repair and multiple sclerosis disease progression. I have a long-standing interest in neuroscience research, that extends from understanding how brain function is regulated during development and in healthy ageing, and the dysregulated signalling pathways that enable neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders.
