Mariana Torrente

Mariana Torrente is an Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry in the School of Natural and Behavioral Sciences at CUNY Brooklyn College, holding a joint appointment with the CUNY Graduate Center. She directs the Torrente Lab, where her team investigates epigenetic mechanisms—particularly histone post-translational modifications—that underpin neurodegenerative diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s.

Education & Training

• B.S. (Chemistry & Biochemistry, Summa Cum Laude), Florida Institute of Technology, 2005
• Ph.D. (Chemistry), Princeton University, 2010
• NIH NRSA Postdoctoral Fellow, Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine, 2012
• PENN-PORT Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2015

Research Interests

Prof. Torrente combines mass-spectrometry-based proteomics, yeast and mammalian disease models, and pharmacological epigenetic modulation to uncover how chromatin dysregulation drives neuronal dysfunction. Her work spans:

• Cataloging histone PTM signatures in ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
• Developing yeast models expressing human disease proteins (FUS, Aβ, α-synuclein)
• Screening small-molecule epidrugs that restore normal chromatin states
• Exploring prion biology and protein disaggregation pathways via Hsp104 mechanistic studies

Scientific Awards & Fellowships

• Feliks Gross Award – highest CUNY distinction for assistant professors (2016)
• NINDS K22 Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award (2015)
• George and Beatrice Schwartzman Professorship in Chemistry
• Jacque Edward Levy Professorship in Analytical Chemistry
• Multiple NIH (R15, K22), PSC-CUNY, ASRC-SEED and ASCB grants and travel awards

Advising & Mentorship

Prof. Torrente has mentored >20 undergraduates, many as co-authors on peer-reviewed papers (indicated by §/? symbols). She teaches core and specialized courses including General Chemistry IA, Pharmaceutical R&D, and Independent Research I-III. External funding supports trainees through NIH, NSF, and CUNY initiatives such as the ASCB ACT Program and NRMN P3.

Laboratory & Team

The Torrente Lab occupies rooms 343/345 Ingersoll Hall Extension. The group integrates chemical biology, proteomics, and genetics to advance neurodegeneration research “one histone modification at a time”, maintaining active collaborations across CUNY, UPenn, and national consortia.