Roles
- Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
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Biography
Roberta Brambilla is an Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery at the Miami Project To Cure Paralysis, a center of excellence in neuroscience research of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. After obtaining her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Milan, Italy, she moved to the University of Miami where she trained as a post-doctoral fellow before starting her independent research lab. -
Education & Training
Education
Post Graduate Training
Licensures and Certifications
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Honors & Awards
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Teaching Interests
Neuroscience, Glial Biology, Models of neurological/neurodegenerative disease, Neuroimmunology -
Research Interests
Dr. Brambilla’s main interest is understanding the role of neuroinflammation in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and stroke, with a specific focus on the contribution of glial cells. In recent years she has devoted her efforts to investigating the function of tumor necrosis factor (TNF), both membrane-bound and soluble forms, in neuroimmune disease. Within this context, she is exploring the protective signaling initiated by the interaction of membrane-bound TNF with TNFR2, taking advantage of cell-specific conditional knockout mice with ablation of TNFR2 from various CNS and immune cell populations, including astrocytes, microglia/macrophages, oligodendrocyte precursor cells and myelinating oligodendrocytes.
Another important research topic being developed in her lab is understanding how intrinsic oligodendrocyte dysfunction might play a role in multiple sclerosis etiopathogenesis. She is investigating this hypothesis using novel transgenic mice developed in her lab, as well as human iPSC-derived oligodendrocytes and post-mortem multiple sclerosis brain and spinal cord tissues.
More recently, she has become interested in understanding how cholesterol dysfunction may participate in the pathogenesis and progression of neurological disease, specifically multiple sclerosis and traumatic brain injury. She is studying how restoring proper cholesterol metabolism in the central nervous system may contribute to neurorepair. -
Publications
Disclaimer: Information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.Grants & Sponsored Research
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Professional Activities
Articles & News
Restoring Vision by Targeting Cholesterol Homeostasis: New Research for Demyelinating Eye Disease
Fostering Connections: The Miller School 2025 Neuroscience Retreat
Disclaimer:
Information presented in this section has been consolidated using AI and machine learning technologies. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may occur. If you identify any inaccuracies, use this link to inform our data team. Your feedback is appreciated and helps us improve the quality of our content.