Tau Protein in Physiological Function and Pathological Conditions

Dr. Abdeslem El Idrissi is a neuroscientist and professor whose work lies at the intersection of neurodevelopment, neuroscience and translational brain research. His scholarship focuses on understanding how early-life experiences and neurobiological mechanisms shape cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes across the lifespan. Through an integrative approach that bridges basic neuroscience with clinical and societal applications, his work aims to advance strategies for improving brain health and resilience.

Dr. El Idrissi has been recognized internationally for his scientific contributions and is included among the world's most cited researchers in his field. His research spans experimental models of neurodevelopmental disorders, neural mechanisms of stress adaptation, and the biological foundations of learning and behavior. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to advancing interdisciplinary dialogue between neuroscience, psychology, and health sciences.

Dr. Alejandra Alonso is a Professor in the Department of Biology and the Center for Developmental Neuroscience at the College of Staten Island, City University of New York, and a faculty member in the Neuroscience, Molecular Cell Biology, and Biochemistry Programs at The Graduate Center, CUNY. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Córdoba, Argentina, and completed her postdoctoral training at the New York State Institute for Basic Research. During this formative period, she contributed to seminal discoveries establishing hyperphosphorylated tau as a principal component of paired helical filaments in Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Alonso's early work provided critical insights into tau pathology, including the first demonstration that abnormally hyperphosphorylated tau can exhibit prion-like properties-binding to normal tau and disrupting the microtubule network. She also played a pioneering role in showing that tau acquires the capacity to self-assemble upon hyperphosphorylation, laying the groundwork for a new conceptual framework in neurodegenerative disease research.

In 2007, Dr. Alonso established her independent research laboratory, where her work remained focused on elucidating the role of tau in Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration. Her research program has identified key phosphorylation sites that regulate tau function and toxicity, proposed mechanisms underlying tau nuclear translocation, and uncovered pathways mediating neuronal uptake of pathological tau. Notably, her group developed a novel mouse model expressing low levels of pathological human tau that faithfully recapitulates key features of neurodegeneration, providing an important platform for mechanistic studies and therapeutic exploration.

Promoted to Full Professor in 2012, Dr. Alonso has held multiple leadership roles, including Director of the Center for Developmental Neuroscience, Chair of the Department of Biology, and Chair of the Neuroscience Program at The Graduate Center. She has authored an extensive body of highly cited scientific publications, with her work receiving over 11,000 citations. A dedicated mentor, she has trained numerous Ph.D. and master's students, as well as a large cohort of undergraduate researchers.