Sandra Ceccatelli

Sandra Ceccatelli is a Professor at the Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet (KI), Stockholm, Sweden, and Director of the KI Ming Wai Lau Centre for Reparative Medicine. Her research focuses on understanding how environmental and genetic factors influence neurodevelopment, particularly through molecular mechanisms linked to neurodevelopmental disorders. She has pioneered studies on developmental neurotoxicity using neural stem cells and behavioral models, emphasizing sex-related differences and long-term effects of glucocorticoids and contaminants like methylmercury, PFOS/PFOA, and dioxins.

Her work integrates in vitro and in vivo approaches, including the use of rodent models and human iPSC-derived neurons. Key contributions include identifying epigenetic changes induced by glucocorticoids, linking circadian rhythm disruptions to depression, and developing biomarkers for antidepressant response. She leads the 'Environmental and genetic factors influence on neurodevelopment' group, collaborating internationally on projects like the CNRM Center for Neuromusculoskeletal Restorative Medicine.

Research highlights include studies on microglia dysfunction in autism, glyphosate's neurodevelopmental impacts, and circadian rhythm abnormalities in psychiatric disorders. Her findings have been translated into clinical applications through patents and startups, such as Northern Light Diagnostics AB, focusing on activity patterns for depression diagnosis.

• Education: Dr. Med Sci from Karolinska Institutet, postdoc at Rockefeller University.
• Leadership: Head of Ming Wai Lau Centre (2021–2023), member of EFSA panels on toxicology.
• Grants & Collaborations: Extensive funding for neurotoxicology and developmental studies, part of EU and global initiatives.