Spring Conferrings 2022: Congratulations to Dr Martina Mazzocchi, who was conferred with a PhD (Medicine)

25 Apr 2022

Congratulations to Dr Martina Mazzocchi, who was conferred with a PhD (Medicine) at the UCC College of Medicine and Health Spring Conferring Ceremony which took place in the Devere Hall on Wednesday 13^th April 2022. 

Martina Mazzocchi initially joined the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience on an Erasmus placement from the University of Ferrara, Italy to undertake research for her Industrial Pharmacy Master’s thesis with Professor Aideen Sullivan and Professor Gerard O’Keeffe. She was awarded an Irish Research Council (IRC) Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship, and having completed her Master’s Degree, she commenced her PhD studies in October 2017 working with Professor Aideen Sullivan, Professor Gerard O’Keeffe and Dr Louise Collins, in the Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience UCC, and Professor Michele Morari, in the University of Ferrara.

Martina presented her PhD Thesis  ‘Defining the potential of class-IIa histone deacetylases as a therapeutic target for Parkinson’s disease' in which she studied a new molecule which selectively inhibits Histone deacetylases class-IIa in order to find a new disease modifying therapy for Parkinson’s disease.

Using both in vivo and in vitro techniques in her research, Dr Mazzocchi has numerous publications in International Journals, and most recently May 2022 in Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. Martina is currently continuing her research work as a Post-doctoral researcher in Professor Aideen Sullivan’s and Professor Gerard O’Keeffe’s lab. 

Martina is enjoying her work and life in Ireland 'I love having friends from different countries and cultures’ she says and adds that 'her favorite pastime is hanging out with friends, and exploring the Irish countryside'. 

Professor Aideen Sullivan, Dr Martina Mazzocchi and Professor Gerard O'Keeffe

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News item and photographs B. Riedewald