AIDA LOPEZ-ORTIZ

The University of Virginia (UVA) was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and is located in Charlottesville, Virginia. UVA is consistently ranked among the top public universities in the United States and is well-known for its commitment to academic excellence and research.

The Neuroscience Program at UVA is a highly respected interdisciplinary program that combines the study of biology, psychology, and computer science to understand the workings of the human brain. The program provides students with a comprehensive education in neuroscience, including coursework in molecular, cellular, and systems neuroscience, as well as research opportunities in cutting-edge areas such as neurodegenerative diseases, neural development, and the neural basis of behavior and cognition.

UVA's Neuroscience Program has a long history of producing graduates who go on to make significant contributions to the field of neuroscience, both in academia and industry. The program's faculty members are renowned experts in their respective areas of research, and are dedicated to providing students with a rigorous and engaging educational experience.

Universidad Central de Venezuela (UCV) was founded in 1721 and is one of the oldest universities in South America. It is located in Caracas, Venezuela and is a well-respected institution both nationally and internationally. The university has a diverse range of faculties, including the Faculty of Science

The Faculty of Science at UCV has a long-standing history of producing excellent biologists, who have gone on to make significant contributions to the field. The faculty offers undergraduate and graduate programs in biology, as well as various research opportunities. The faculty members are highly qualified and have a wealth of experience in their respective fields.

Throughout its history, the Faculty of Science at UCV has consistently maintained its position as one of the leading institutions in South America. The faculty has a strong commitment to both teaching and research, and provides students with the skills and knowledge they need to succeed in their chosen careers.

Project Description: This project investigates how the microglial purinergic receptor P2RY12 regulates microglial metabolic, antioxidant, and immune functions that are essential for maintaining brain homeostasis. By examining P2RY12 signaling under physiological and Alzheimer’s disease–related conditions, this work demonstrates that loss of P2RY12 drives a hypermetabolic microglial state, disrupts antioxidant defenses involving the GPX4–glutathione pathway, and increases vulnerability to oxidative and ferroptotic stress.

In an early-stage Alzheimer’s disease model, P2RY12 deficiency accelerates amyloid accumulation and cortical plaque deposition, identifying P2RY12 as a critical molecular checkpoint linking microglial metabolic resilience to neurodegenerative progression.

Sponsor: Ukpong Eyo Laboratory, BIG Center, Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA. (Jul 2021 - Present)

Project Description: Investigating the role of the TAM pathway in Theiler virus infection, that produce a demyelinating disease used as an experimental model for the study of Multiple Sclerosis. I’ve been involved in other projects including the viral immune response of Macrophages to Junín Virus JUNV,etiological agent of Argentine Hemorrhagic Fever.

Additionally, I’ve studied the formation of Extracellular Traps ETs from human Neutrophils and Monocytes/Macrophages in inflammation and infection.

Sponsor: Laboratory of Animal Viruses, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Biology IBBM, La Plata University UNLP, Advisor: Dr. Ricardo Gómez / Laboratory of Experimental Thrombosis, Experimental Medicine Institute IMEX, National Academy of Medicine ANM, Co-Advisor: Dr. Eugenio Antonio Carrera Silva. Buenos Aires, Argentina (Jul 2018 - Jul 2021).

Project Description: Identification of point mutations in the voltage-dependent sodium channel’s gene related to pyrethroid resistance in Anopheles sp. from Venezuela.

Sponsor: Immunoparasitology Laboratory, Venezuelan Institute of Scientific Research (IVIC), Advisor: Dr. Mariana Hidalgo. (San Antonio de Los Altos, Venezuela. (Feb 2012 - May 2015).

- AO Lopez Ortiz, M Doceti, JQ Thomas, A Duffy, M Coburn, A K. Okojie, ... (2025). Transcriptional Regulation of Microglial Metabolic and Activation States by P2RY12. Glia 73 (12), 2464-2482.

- LE Fremuth, S Gibbs-Shelton, M Doceti, AO Lopez Ortiz, A Duffy, ... (2025). Microglia and its P2RY12 Receptors Regulate Seizure Severity. bioRxiv, 2025.12. 11.693689.

- WA Mills III, NA Savory, AO Lopez Ortiz, DH Lentferink, ... (2025). Microglial cyclooxygenase-1 modulates cerebral capillary basal tone in vivo in mice. Nature Communications 16 (1), 5704.

- AO Lopez Ortiz, UB Eyo (2024). Astrocytes and microglia in the coordination of CNS development and homeostasis. Journal of Neurochemistry 168 (10), 3599-3614.

- C Tomatis, A León, AO Lopez Ortiz, P Oneto, F Fuentes, MF Ferrer, EAC Silva, ... (2023). Theiler’s Murine Encephalomyelitis Virus Replicates in Primary Neuron Cultures and Impairs Spine Density Formation. Neuroscience 529, 162-171.

- Gómez RM, AO Lopez Ortiz, Schattner M. (2021). Platelets and extracellular traps in infections.Platelets 32 (3), 305-313.

- Gómez RM, AO Lopez Ortiz, Schattner M. (2021). New roles of platelets in inflammation. Current Opinion in Physiology. Volume 19, 2021, Pages 99-104, ISSN 2468-8673. Doi: 10.1016.

- Gómez RM, AO Lopez Ortiz, Schattner M. (2020). Platelets and Extracellular Traps in Infections. Platelets. DOI: 10.1080 / 09537104.2020.1718631

- Ferrer, M. F., Thomas, P. D., AO Lopez Ortiz, Errasti, A., Charó, N. L., Romanowski, V & Gomez, R. M. (2019). Junin Virus Triggers Macrophage Activation and Modulates Polarization According to Viral Strain Pathogenicity. Frontiers in Immunology, 10, 2499.