Measuring Metabolites in Sickness and Health—Alessandra Sussulini, Ph.D. —University of Campinas, Brazil

As an assistant professor of analytical chemistry at the University of Campinas, Brazil, Dr. Alessandra Sussulini studies metabolomics, which describes the set of all metabolites—such as sugars, lipids, and amino acids—in an organism and considers how those metabolites change under specific conditions. For example, what are the type and quantity of metabolites in a person who is in a state of health versus disease? How might metabolite populations change during or after treatment for a specific condition? What might metabolomics tell us the underlying causes of disease? These are the types of questions being investigated by Dr. Sussulini.

Most recently, her research has been focused on identifying biomarkers for bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression, as well as the use of ayahuasca for the treatment of drug-resistant depression, and more specifically, what the metabolic picture under ayahuasca use looks like.

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