Sandra Maday

Sandra Maday, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Neuroscience at the Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania. She directs the Maday Lab which investigates the mechanisms and regulation of autophagy in neuronal homeostasis and neurodegeneration. Dr. Maday's research has established fundamental principles of neuronal autophagy that distinguish it from non-neuronal systems.

Dr. Maday's educational background includes:

• B.A. in Biochemistry and Biology, High Honors in Biology, Oberlin College (1998)
• Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Yale University (2007)

Her research focuses on autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved lysosomal degradation pathway critical for neuronal viability. The Maday Lab established that autophagy in neurons is a vectorial process where autophagosomes are generated in the distal axon and undergo retrograde transport to the soma for cargo degradation. Unlike non-neuronal cells, neurons exhibit unique regulatory mechanisms for autophagy. The lab investigates three interconnected themes: spatiotemporal mechanisms of autophagosome biogenesis across neuronal compartments, the contribution of autophagy to neural function and synaptic activity, and the role of autophagy in neuronal stress responses and neurodegenerative disease.

Dr. Maday's publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to understanding neuronal autophagy across multiple model systems. Her work spans from foundational cell biological mechanisms to translational implications for neurodegenerative disorders. Recent publications show increasing focus on synaptic function, neuron-glia differences in autophagy regulation, and methodological advances for studying autophagy dynamics in neurons.

Dr. Maday actively mentors graduate students from the Neuroscience and Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Groups at Penn. Her lab has trained numerous students who have successfully transitioned to medical schools and research positions. The Maday Lab combines advanced quantitative cell biology techniques, live-cell imaging, and biochemical approaches to investigate autophagy in primary neuronal cultures and mouse models of neurodegenerative disease.

The Maday Lab is currently active at 111 Johnson Pavilion, 3610 Hamilton Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104, continuing to investigate fundamental mechanisms of neuronal autophagy with implications for understanding and treating neurodegenerative conditions.