Isabel Castanho, PhD
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isabelscst.bsky.social
Isabel Castanho, PhD
@isabelscst.bsky.social
🧠Neurobiologist
🟣Alzheimer's disease & neurodegeneration
👩🏻‍💻Bioinformatics

🎙️Host She Has a PhD podcast
#womeninscience

📍Boston, US
💼 Junior Faculty @harvardmed.bsky.social

🇵🇹🇨🇦🇫🇮🇬🇧🇺🇸

🧘🏻‍♀️🎮📚📷☕🧳
🧠 Key takeaway: Cognitive resilience hinges on preserving excitatory-inhibitory homeostasis. Specific “surge-protector” neurons control excess firing and shield the cortex even when plaques and tangles are abundant.
October 1, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Now that #AAIC25 - the biggest international conference on #Alzheimers & #dementia - ended, I'm still processing all that I experienced, learned, & absorbed this past week. What a week!

Looking forward to London next year, where my story as an @istaart.bsky.social ambassador began 💜

#EndAlz
August 1, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Proud of our session at #AAIC25 yesterday, "Molecular Basis of Cognitive Resilience". 💜

We really are trying to bring the field together, and I think we did a great job! 👏🏻

Thank you to the audience for making the Q&A so stimulating. 🤩

If you missed it, the recording is available online.
July 28, 2025 at 11:13 AM
POV of commuting to work this week, ahead of #AAIC25

First pic: preparing my Sunday presentation on #cognitiveresilience to #Alzheimer on my way to work

Second pic: preparing slides for the Wednesday @istaart.bsky.social workshop on using #socialmedia to grow professionally
July 22, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Less than 2 weeks for #AAIC25! 😱🤩💜

I'm preparing my schedule & getting excited about so many of the sessions! 😃 Have you added this one to your schedule yet? 🧠🌸 Molecular Basis of Cognitive Resilience

✨ Sunday 9 AM Room 106 ✨

I hear it's going to be great! 😉
July 16, 2025 at 6:26 PM
🧠 June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month.

I study why some people stay cognitively sharp despite having Alzheimer’s pathology, i.e., cognitive resilience.

Instead of only asking what goes wrong, I ask: what goes right? 💡

#Alzheimers #EndAlz #AlzheimersAwarenessMonth #Resilience #Neuroscience
June 17, 2025 at 1:08 PM
Excited for #AAIC25! 💜🧠 Room 106 on Sunday will be fire! 🔥 Especially the 9:10 AM session! 😉 See you there? #EndAlz
June 16, 2025 at 8:16 PM
#ADPD2025 was exhausting 😴 but so thrilling 🤩 The discussions really energized me! ⚡🔋

I got to chat w/ collaborators, mentors & promising students. 💬

And the city of Vienna is beautiful!! 🏛️👑🎻🖼️

I returned to Boston feeling inspired, creative & motivated. 💪🏻🙌🏻

In the pic w/ PI @winhide.bsky.social
April 7, 2025 at 10:55 AM
Great talk from @susanrohde.bsky.social @ the #cognitiveresilience session #ADPD2025 this PM!

If you missed it or if you want to keep following her work, she'll be giving a talk @ the session I'm co-chairing @ #AAIC25

She'll also join me at @dementiaresearcher.bsky.social podcast on Saturday
April 4, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Excited to be back at #ADPD2025, this time in Vienna, Austria. 🏛️🌳

Day 1 went by in a blink. ⏩ Looking forward to continue catching up with colleagues and breathing in science for the rest of the week. 🧠
April 1, 2025 at 7:42 PM
Took a few minutes before starting today to breathe in some inspiration & motivation for the day. 🧘🏻‍♀️

Day 1 of going back to work is going smoothly so far. 🙂 Let's hope it sets the mood for the rest of the week. 🙏🏻

#lunchbreak
March 17, 2025 at 4:02 PM
This is the best email introduction anyone has ever given me — probably my best introduction ever! 🥹
It is the perfect example of peer support that I discussed in the podcast episode linked in the email (open.spotify.com/episode/3Nve...).
Simple gestures can go a long way.

TY A. for the kind words.
March 12, 2025 at 10:24 PM
New achievement unlocked: title changed from Postdoctoral Research Fellow to Instructor. 🥳

Reward: Getting to say "I am a junior faculty member at Harvard Medical School"... 🙃

Thank you @winhide for being such a supportive and overall amazing mentor and advisor! 🥂
January 20, 2025 at 8:10 PM
I am REALLY enjoying the book "Not Just for the Boys: Why We Need More Women in Science" by @AtheneDonald! I highly recommend!

My favorite section so far 👇

#womeninSTEM #womeninscience #AcademicTwitter
January 20, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Inspiring quote of the day 😁
January 20, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Incredible "Research Reunion" at #AAICNeuro today. The companionship among Drs Haass, Selkoe, & Teplow was contagious. Great advice on the importance of leaving your comfort zone, collaborating instead of competing, friendship, living the excitement, & the power of perseverance.
January 20, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Imitated @e_a_english!

1) Forever an @ISTAART volunteer💜
2, 6, 10) Tell me you're a scientist without telling me you're a scientist 👩🏻‍🔬👩🏻‍💻
3) probably after "mental"
4) Need to learn new adjectives too!
5) There it is
7) 🐝
8) 🕴🏻‍♀️
9) Love conversations!💬
January 20, 2025 at 8:08 PM
Today I definitely experienced a highlight in my career, as I chatted with one of the world's most recognized and decorated researchers: Dr. Virginia Lee.
1/6

#AAICNeuro
January 20, 2025 at 8:08 PM
#AAICNeuro is only 3 weeks away and I cannot contain my excitement to chat with Dr. Virginia Lee (what a privilege) about her research & career live from @Penn!

Have you registered for Neuroscience Next yet?#ENDALZ @alzassociation

alz.org/neurosciencene…
January 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Really @Twitter????? 😳

I’ve been fighting the urge of leaving Twitter (that I used to like quite a lot), like so many I know have, and these types of changes are really NOT helping. 😖

Is anyone else disappointed with this and/or other changes that I may have missed? 🧐
January 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
🚨Calling #postdocs & others w/ input about #postdocjobs

@NIH is "re-envisioning U.S. Postdoctoral Research Training and Career Progression"

Share challenges & opportunities:deadline 4/14)

Discussion sessions:#AcademicTwitter

tinyurl.com/27kxnahu bit.ly/3E8fRGz
January 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I’m finally about to finish “Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race” by @renireni (great book, been learning a lot). Chapter 5 (The #Feminism Question) is fueling my inner fire in a very good way! 🔥 A “ready to conquer the world” type of way 💪 #Equity
January 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
2 award opportunities from the @alzassociation #AAICneuro:

The Alzheimer’s Association Excellence in Neuroscience Mentoring Award

The AAIC Neuroscience Next ‘One to Watch’ Award

More info:

alz.org/neurosciencene…
January 20, 2025 at 8:07 PM
#Neuroscience early career researchers: #AAICNeuro abstract submission is open.
It's free. 🙃

Deadline: Feb. 24

Undergrad & grad students, postdocs, assistant professors & research professionals within 7 years of graduation are eligible.
January 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM
🚨AAIC Neuroscience Next April 17-20, 2023 - Registration is open (free virtual attendance!)🚨

The meeting aims to highlight the work of next-generation neuroscience researchers 🧠😃

Register:#AAICNeuro @alzassociation #neuroscience #dementiaECR

alz.org/neurosciencene…
January 20, 2025 at 8:06 PM