Cecilia explored the change in the lipidome and the consequences for brain function in type 2 diabetes (T2D). In metabolic diseases, such as obesity and T2D, the brain is impacted and variety of bioactive lipids and their signaling pathways can be altered. However, the implications are not well explored. Cecilia focused in her thesis on one of the major lipases, hormone sensitive lipase (HSL) and the Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) pathway, which can be putative targets for neuroprotection during T2D.

In her thesis, Cecilia proposed that HSL regulates the availability of bioactive lipids such as S1P for fine tuning of neuronal function, including the regulation of vessel constriction/dilation and cerebral blood flow. With these results, Cecilia not only dissected brain lipid signalling in depth but also generated a basis for developing strategies how to stop brain dysfunction in metabolic disorders such as T2D.

Here you can find her PhD thesis: Bioactive lipids as neuroprotective targets in type 2 diabetes