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Nimmy Varghese

Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel, University of Basel, Universität Basel, Adullam Spital und Pflegezentren

ORCID iD 0000-0001-8598-0535
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About

I am a neurobiologist driven by curiosity about how energy fuels the brain. I earned my Ph.D. in Neurobiology from the University of Basel, Switzerland, where my work advanced the understanding of human neuronal aging at both cellular and clinical levels.

During my doctoral research, I demonstrated that induced pluripotent stem cell–derived neurons (iPSCNs) and directly converted neurons (iNs) from human fibroblasts showed similar age-related mitochondrial impairments, challenging the dogma of iPSC "rejuvenation" and validating iPSCNs as powerful models for studying aging (Varghese et al., Communications Biology, 2025). Moreover, I created stress-based aging models using young iNs (Varghese et al., Cells, 2025). Beyond cellular neuroscience, I investigated biological aging in a high-risk population, revealing an inverse association between childhood adversity, hair cortisol, and telomere length (Bürgin et al., Scientific Reports, 2022), and examined the interplay of stress, sleep, and BDNF (Varghese et al., Scientific Reports, 2023). This work added to my expertise in iPSC culture and differentiation, direct neuronal conversion, mitochondrial functional assays, imaging techniques, and biomarker analyses. My research efforts have been recognized with multiple awards, including the SSBP 1st Place Poster Award (2022), the DGPPN Poster Prize (2022), and the Cells Best PhD Thesis Award (2025), as well as being selected for the competitive Antelope Career Program at the University of Basel (2023). With multiple publications and a summa cum laude distinction, my doctoral research laid the foundation for advancing mitochondrial biology and neurodegeneration research.

Currently, as a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience (MPFI), I focus on how mitochondria shape synaptic function and vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Building on my postdoctoral lab's findings showing that VAPB, an ALS protein, plays a crucial role as a key interactor between actin and mitochondria. Its loss destabilizes dendritic mitochondria and disrupts synaptic energy supply. My research investigates whether diverse genetic mutations associated with ALS converge on a common vulnerability: destabilizing mitochondrial localization near spines, draining synaptic energy, and ultimately compromising both motor and cognitive processes. By mapping this failure of the neuronal energy network, I aim to uncover new therapeutic strategies to preserve synaptic function and delay disease progression.
By mapping this failure of the neuronal energy network, I aim to uncover new therapeutic strategies to preserve synaptic function and delay disease progression.

Employment

  • Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience Postdoctoral Fellow
    2024 - Present
  • Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel Junior researcher / Postdoc
    2024 - Present
  • Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel Doctoral student / PhD student
    2019 - 2024
  • Universitäre Psychiatrische Kliniken Basel Scientific Staff
    2018 - 2019
  • Adullam Spital und Pflegezentren Nursing assistant
    2012 - 2018

Education

  • University of Basel PhD / Dr.: Neurobiology
    2019 - 2024
  • Universität Basel Master of Science in molecular Biology
    2017 - 2018
  • University of Basel Bachelor: Bachelor of Science in Biology
    2014 - 2017

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (44)