Dr. Juan A. Varela

I did my undergraduate studies in physics in Uruguay and subsequently my PhD in nanomedicine in Ireland, studying interactions between nanoparticles and different types of cells. I used nanoparticles to study endocytic mechanisms and intracellular transport, largely in neurons and astrocytes, as nanoparticles offer great possibilities to study and treat the brain. As my interest in neuroscience became stronger, I moved to France where I won a Marie Curie individual fellowship, and spent 4 years working at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Neuroscience. Since 2015 I am a research associate at the University of Cambridge, working on single-molecule imaging techniques to understand the fundamental mechanisms underlying dementia.