Dr. Rojas is an immunologist focusing on the role of intestinal immune cells in neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. After obtaining her MD/PhD in Colombia, she pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto with a focus on neuroinflammation in Multiple Sclerosis. Currently, her main research goal is to dissect how the peripheral and mucosal immune responses impact the brain in neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson disease.
The intestine is the largest mucosal surface in the body, home of trillions of bugs (microbiota) that are shaping the immune response. It has become evident that the intestinal microbiota can impact the aging brain. The intestine and the brain communicate through a bidirectional network known as the gut-brain axis, which includes nerves, immune cells, and bacterial metabolites. My research is focused on understanding the role of intestine immune cells as a key intermediate of the gut-brain axis and how intestinal immune cells can directly or indirectly impact the aging brain during neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer Disease and Parkinson Disease.
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2300-1658