Alejandra’s research focuses on understanding the role of the herpes virus in neuroinflammatory processes and its connection to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
Dr. Alejandra Castañeda Cataña joined Umeå University in September 2025 as a postdoctoral researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Stefanie Willekens at the Department of Clinical Microbiology. Her research explores the interface of virology and neurobiology, with a particular interest in understanding how viral infections contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.
She earned her PhD in Biological Chemistry from the University of Buenos Aires (2017–2022, CONICET fellowship), where she worked extensively in the field of virology and nanomaterial. Her doctoral research involved the development and characterization of biodegradable nanoparticles such as bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA-NPs), PLGA nanoparticles, and niosomes for the encapsulation and sustained release of antiviral compounds. She gained valuable experience working with a wide range of viruses and virus-cell infection models, including Zika virus, Junín virus, herpes simplex virus, vesicular stomatitis virus, and SARS-CoV-2.
Dr. Castañeda Cataña holds a master’s degree in molecular biotechnology from the University of Granada (Spain, 2015–2016), where she explored the metabolic potential of Starkella novella in hydrocarbon degradation, contributing to two collaborative publications. She completed her Engineering degree in Biotechnology at Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE (Ecuador, 2007–2013), with a thesis focused on the antiparasitic activity of native plant extracts against Leishmania mexicana.
With over 14 years of research experience across Latin America and Europe, Dr. Castañeda Cataña has cultivated a strong interdisciplinary profile that integrates virology, nanotecnology and advanced cell culture platforms. She is the first author of eight scientific publications (fourteen in total), has delivered 16 oral presentations and presented 40 posters at national and international conferences, and has received multiple fellowships and awards, including the Chu Family Foundation Early Career Women in Science fellowships, a UNU-BIOLAC fellowship, and the Nanoandes Medal for scientific outreach.
At Umeå University, her current work aims to elucidate the role of herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, combining cutting-edge imaging technologies such as light-sheet fluorescence microscopy (LSFM) and optical projection tomography (OPT) to advance understanding of viral neuropathogenesis and inform therapeutic development.