Florencia Cabrera Cabrera

Florencia Cabrera Cabrera is a Research Fellow at Tallinn University of Technology, School of Science, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology since January 2025. Previously, she served as a Post-Doc at the same institution from August 2021 to December 2024. Her academic journey includes doctoral research at Christian Albrechts Universität zu Kiel and Technische Universität Dresden from 2016 to 2019, and earlier research and teaching positions at the University of the Republic, Uruguay and Institut Pasteur of Montevideo.

Dr. Cabrera Cabrera earned her Doctorate in Natural Science with a focus on Biochemistry from Christian Albrechts Universität zu Kiel in 2019, where she completed her dissertation titled "Functional characterization of Signal-Peptide-Peptidase-Like (SPPL) 2a and 2b intramembrane cleaving proteases" under the supervision of Prof. Paul Saftig and Prof. Bernd Schröder. She also holds a Master's Degree in Biological Sciences with a specialization in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the Institut Pasteur of Montevideo (2013), where she researched "Microvesicle-mediated host cell-parasite interaction in Trypanosoma cruzi" under Prof. Alfonso Cayota. Her educational background includes multiple degrees in Biological Sciences and Biochemistry from the University of the Republic, Uruguay.

Dr. Cabrera Cabrera's research spans several interconnected fields in molecular and cellular biology, with a particular focus on intramembrane proteases, neurobiology, and host-pathogen interactions. Her early work examined Trypanosoma cruzi and its microvesicle-mediated interactions with host cells, while her doctoral research centered on Signal-Peptide-Peptidase-Like proteases and their physiological functions. More recently, her work has expanded into neurobiology, investigating BDNF gene expression regulation, neuron-glia interactions, and the role of regulatory elements in astrocytes. Her research combines molecular biology, biochemistry, and cell biology approaches to understand fundamental biological processes with implications for neurological disorders, infectious diseases, and cardiovascular conditions.

Analysis of Dr. Cabrera Cabrera's publication record reveals a clear evolution of research interests from parasitology and RNA biology toward neurobiology and intramembrane proteolysis. Her early publications focused on Trypanosoma cruzi and tRNA-derived small RNAs, while her more recent work centers on BDNF regulation, neuron-glia interactions, and intramembrane proteases like SPPL2a/b. This trajectory demonstrates her ability to apply molecular and cellular biology techniques across diverse biological systems. The consistent thread through her work is the investigation of regulatory mechanisms at the molecular level, whether in host-pathogen interactions, neuronal function, or protease-mediated signaling pathways.

Dr. Cabrera Cabrera has received several prestigious awards and recognitions for her research, including:

• 2023 Glia Network travel stipend to attend the XVI European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease
• 2023 EMBO Travel grant to attend the course: FISHing for RNA - Classical to single molecule approaches
• 2022 Distinguished Poster Presentation at the NeuroRNA Conference on RNA regulation in Brain Function and Disease
• 2011 Completion of Postgraduate Studies Scholarship from the Commission of Scientific Research of the University of the Republic, Uruguay
• 2010 Scholarship for Research Initiation from the Uruguayan National Agency for Research and Innovation

As a principal investigator, Dr. Cabrera Cabrera has successfully led multiple research projects, including "BDNF gene expression regulation in non-neuronal cells" (2021-2023) and the current "AstroReg: A cartography of regulatory elements in astrocytes" (2023-2025). She also contributes to larger collaborative efforts such as "Probing Neuron-Glia Interactions with Cell-Selective Stimulation and Omics" and the upcoming UNCAN-CONNECT project. Since 2023, she has served on the Management Committee for COST Action CA22169, demonstrating her growing leadership in the research community. Her grant funding includes support from the Estonian Research Council and European Commission, reflecting the international recognition of her research program.

Dr. Cabrera Cabrera is actively involved in the neuroscience and molecular biology research communities, with particular focus on neuron-glia interactions and regulatory mechanisms in cellular biology. Her current work on astrocyte regulatory elements positions her at the forefront of glial cell research, an area gaining increasing recognition for its importance in brain function and disease. Through her participation in the COST Action network and collaborative projects, she is helping to build international research capacity in these areas.