Maite Solas, a researcher and professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Navarra, has received a grant from the Pasqual Maragall Foundation for her work on the Star A-D project.
Her research focuses on astrocytes—key brain cells that regulate neuronal function—and how their metabolism changes in Alzheimer's Disease. In particular, the project studies how these changes may affect insulin signaling and glycogen storage in the brain, and whether targeting astrocytes could slow down or even reverse the disease in its early stages. The study is carried out in collaboration with Jordi Duran.
During the award ceremony, representatives from the Pasqual Maragall Foundation highlighted Alzheimer’s impact on millions of families and noted a shift toward new disease-modifying treatments. They also emphasized the importance of research funding and public support in advancing scientific progress toward understanding and eventually curing Alzheimer’s.