Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui
Department of Neurosurgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
Dr. Maya Koronyo-Hamaoui is an Assistant Professor, Neurosurgery and Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Cente since form 2010.
She was in PostDoc Position at Weizmann Institute of Science in Department of Neurobiology under Dr. Michal Schwartz in Israel · Rehovot
I
Her research was on immune-modulation intervention in transgenic murine models of Alzheimer's disease. Bone marrow transplantation and creation of chimeric AD mouse models. Monocyte ablation. GA immunization. Glaucoma gene expression study. Primary microglia cultures.
Education
May 2005–
Nov 2006
Weizmann Institute of Science
Neuroimmunology · Postdoctorate
Israel · Rehovot
Sep 2000–
Feb 2005
Tel Aviv University
Psychiatric Genetics · Ph.D.
Israel · Tel Aviv
Sep 1995–
Aug 1998
Tel Aviv University
Human Molecular Genetics (Neurological Disorders) · M.Sc.
Israel · Tel Aviv
Sep 1991–
Aug 1995
Tel Aviv University
Natural Sciences, Biology · B.Sc.
Israel · Tel Aviv
Awards & achievements
Sep 2013
Award: Collaborative Research Award, DNRCA-CSMC Department of Neurosurgery
Mar 2013
Grant: Alzheimer’s Disease Research Award, The BrightFocus Foundation
Mar 2013
Award: Pioneer in Medicine Award, The Brain Mapping Foundation for Retinal Imaging in Alzheimer’s Disease
Jan 2013
Grant: NIH/NIA R41 Award
Aug 2012
Award: Expert Panel Speaker, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Conference in the Special Interest Group 'Ocular Biomarkers for Early Detection of AD',
Jun 2012
Grant: Primary Research Award, Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust Fund
The primary focus of the Koronyo-Hamaoui Laboratory is on early diagnosis and immune-based therapies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). A feasible noninvasive test to identify patients early on, which is essential for effective treatment, is an urgent unmet need. The Koronyo-Hamaoui Laboratory has shown, for the first time, that the hallmark pathology of AD, amyloid-β protein (Aβ) plaque, is present in the retina of human patients beginning at early stages. Furthermore, a unique approach has been developed in this lab to detect plaques in the retina of live rodent models by a noninvasive optical retinal imaging. This innovation unveils new possibilities for investigation of Alzheimer's pathology in the retina. It may also facilitate early diagnosis and noninvasive monitoring of disease progression.
A large body of evidence accumulated over the past years suggested that the peripheral immune system plays a critical role in repair and regeneration of the central nervous system. This lab has demonstrated that harnessing peripheral immunity in murine transgenic models of AD via immune-modulating antigens, such as glatiramer acetate and MOG45D loaded on dendritic cells, stimulated recruitment of monocytes to the brain. This immunization approach leads to a reduction of harmful inflammation, toxic Aβ and scar tissue pathology, while restoring neurogenesis and cognitive functions. The lab further explores possibilities of utilizing inflammatory monocyte enrichment and the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) overexpression in monocytes to counter AD progression. The Koronyo-Hamaoui team seeks to further identify and characterize new immunological mechanisms that help attenuate AD progression.
