Pietra CANDELA Tel: 03 21 79 17 46 |
Dr. Pietra Candela is a researcher at the LBHE, Université d’Artois, specializing in the study of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and its role in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Since 2012, her work has focused on uncovering how BBB dysfunction contributes to disease progression, with a special interest in amyloid beta (Aβ) transport. Using advanced in vitro BBB models, she explores how metabolic and nutritional factors, such as the ketogenic diet, can help preserve barrier integrity.
Her research has progressively expanded to include the impact of environmental exposures, notably pesticides, on both the intestinal and cerebral barriers. Supported by the CPER MOSOPS and PESTIPREDIS (Ecophyto II) programs, and in collaboration with the PériTox team (University of Amiens), she investigates how pesticide-induced dysbiosis duringpregnancy can disrupt BBB permeability, and how prebiotic strategies might restore balance and protect the developing brain.
Through this work, Dr. Candela aims to identify innovative nutritional and protective interventions to safeguard the BBB and pave the way for new therapeutic approaches in neurodegenerative diseases. She also promotes international collaboration through ERASMUS+ mobility agreements and a double-degree program linking the University of Artois and the University of Palermo.
