Cristina Ghiani

Cristina Ghiani is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Dr. Ghiani's research primarily focuses on:

• Circadian rhythms and their disruption in neurological disorders
• Neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Huntington's disease
• Sleep disorders and their relationship to neurological conditions
• Mouse models of neurological and neurodevelopmental disorders
• Oligodendrocyte biology and myelin development

Her recent work has examined how circadian interventions, including scheduled feeding and light therapy, can improve outcomes in mouse models of Huntington's disease and other neurological conditions. She has published extensively on the relationship between circadian disruption and neurodegeneration, with particular attention to sex differences in disease presentation and response to interventions. Her publications over the past five years demonstrate a strong emphasis on translational approaches to treating neurodegenerative conditions through circadian modulation.

Dr. Ghiani's scientific contributions include:

• Investigating the role of circadian rhythms in Huntington's disease progression
• Examining sex differences in sleep architecture in mouse models of neurological disorders
• Studying the effects of dietary interventions on circadian function in neurodegenerative conditions
• Exploring the relationship between oligodendrocyte function and circadian regulation
• Developing chronotherapeutic approaches for neurological disorders

Dr. Ghiani maintains a productive research collaboration with Dr. Christopher Colwell at UCLA, with whom she has co-authored numerous papers on circadian biology and neurodegeneration. Her work bridges multiple disciplines including neuroscience, chronobiology, and neurology, with a focus on developing practical interventions for neurological conditions.