Fernanda Laezza

Fernanda Laezza, MD, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology & Toxicology and Biochemistry & Molecular Biology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). She serves as Director of the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine. Her research focuses on understanding the molecular mechanisms of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders, particularly those involving voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels and their regulatory proteins like fibroblast growth factors (FGFs).

Education: MD from Università degli Studi di Torino (Italy, 1991), PhD in Neuroscience from Emory University (2001).

Research Interests: Dr. Laezza's work centers on Nav channel complexes, their role in neuronal excitability, and their disruption in disorders like epilepsy, schizophrenia, and Alzheimer's disease. She investigates environmental factors (e.g., pesticides like deltamethrin) and signaling pathways (e.g., GSK3) that modulate these channels. Her lab develops molecular probes targeting protein-protein interactions for therapeutic intervention.

Grants & Collaborations: Active grants include studies on pesticide neurotoxicity, FGF14 as a drug target for addiction, and GSK3 signaling in brain circuits. Collaborators span institutions like Northwestern University, Rita Levi-Montalcini Center in Italy, and UTMB's Departments of Mathematics and Electrical Engineering for computational biology tools.

Awards: Recipient of the Chauncey D. Leake Memorial Lecturer of the Year (2024) for contributions to pharmacology and toxicology research.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Sealy Center for Environmental Health and Medicine, focusing on translational research linking environmental exposures to neurological outcomes.