Loukia Parisiadou, Ph.D.

Loukia completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Sheffield in the UK and earned her Ph.D. from the University of Athens in Greece. She subsequently joined the Neurogenetics laboratory at the National Institute on Aging for her postdoctoral training during a pivotal time in Parkinson's disease genetics. The laboratory made significant advances by demonstrating that mutations in the LRRK2 gene are linked to Parkinson's disease. This discovery sparked her scientific interest in understanding the molecular basis of the condition, with a focus on familial forms of the disease, particularly LRRK2 and α-synuclein.

Her research into the effects of LRRK2 mutations in Parkinson's disease provided novel insights into the largely unknown role of the LRRK2 protein. This work led to the development of several mouse models and a range of cellular and molecular experimental tools to advance LRRK2 research. Following this, she joined the Feinberg School of Medicine, where she established her independent research program. 

When not on campus,  she enjoys traveling, exploring Chicago, and going to the park with her two sons and her baby girl.

                                                                              Tinos: Loukia's favorite Greek island!

Mani: "The Mani is a wild, rugged region. From the steep foothills of the snow-tipped Taÿgetos Mountains to the pristine coastal coves, and from the tiny villages nestling amid olive groves, connected by threads of walking trails to the arid scenery in the south of peninsula, speckled with abandoned stone towers, the Mani has some of the most dramatic and varied scenery in the Peloponnese, much of it still wonderfully under explored". -from Lonely Planet