Carlo Condello, PhD

Dr. Carlo Condello is an Assistant Professor of Neurology and started his independent laboratory in 2019. The Condello lab innovates new imaging methods and model systems to elucidate the cell and molecular biology of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related neurodegenerative disorders. We aim to understand the dynamic role of glial cells, in particular microglia and innate immune function, and their functional interactions with healthy and degenerating neurons. In tandem, we study genetic risk factors and human biology of disease using patient samples to inform and validate discoveries made in model systems. To reveal mechanisms of protein aggregation, cell death and innate immunity, we employ an interdisciplinary approach including cell and molecular neuroscience, biophysics, chemical biology and advanced optical imaging methods. Notably, Dr. Condello developed quantitative imaging methods to identify conformational variants (“strains”) of Aß and tau pathologies using structure-sensitive fluorescent probes on in vitro formed synthetic fibrils and in brain slices in situ. With such powerful techniques in hand, the Condello lab and their collaborators have begun to forge new insights into the roles of distinct structural strains causing unique cellular consequences and phenotypic heterogeneity in AD.