Daniela Zarnescu

Daniela Zarnescu, PhD is a Professor at the Department of Cell and Biological Systems at Penn State College of Medicine, where she also serves as the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Training. Her research focuses on neurodegenerative diseases, particularly TDP-43 proteinopathies and their roles in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), using Drosophila models and bioinformatic approaches. She leads multiple NIH- and Army-funded projects targeting therapeutic small molecules and RNA-binding protein mechanisms.