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Black and white portrait by Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD

Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD

Mariella joined The Scientist in 2023. Before that, she was a postdoctoral researcher at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences studying sex differences on the effects of chronic stress and traumatic brain injury. Mariella holds a master’s and a PhD in neuroscience from the Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, Brazil, and a certificate in Science Communication from the University of California, San Diego.

Articles by Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD
The image shows a brain section of the mouse amygdala. Using fluorescent markers, the expression of synapses is shown in purple, while neurons are shown as red dots and the microRNA miR-483-5p is shown as green dots.
A Brain MicroRNA Curbs Anxiety
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Aug 1, 2023 | 2 min read
Upregulation of a specific microRNA in the brain lessened anxiety and reduced the expression of stress-related genes in mice. 
Image of coral reef
A Probiotic to Protect Caribbean Corals
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Aug 1, 2023 | 2 min read
A bacterial strain from healthy corals could slow the progression and prevent transmission of the destructive stony coral tissue loss disease in the wild.
Image of ancestor with hair all over body
Why Don’t Humans Have Fur?
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Aug 1, 2023 | 2 min read
Humans are often referred to as “hairless apes.” But how did this trait evolve given that fur provides significant advantages to many mammals?
Two human brain illustrations
An Advocate for the Female Brain
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Jul 5, 2023 | 2 min read
Rebecca Shansky studies both female and male rodents to ensure that scientists have a complete and unbiased picture of the brain.
Epithelial cells and fungal spores are marked with fluorescent dyes. Cells have an irregular shape and are shown in green and blue colors. Spores are spherical in shape and are labeled green if they are surrounded by p11 protein. A protein in mature phagosomes is labeled violet.
Fungal Spores Hijack a Host Protein to Escape Death
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Jun 20, 2023 | 3 min read
Uncovering the components used by Aspergillus fumigatus to avoid intracellular destruction broadens our understanding of the mold’s pathogenesis. 
Saccharomyces cerevisiae 
Waves of Macromolecule Production During the Cell Cycle
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Jun 1, 2023 | 3 min read
In individual yeast cells, essential biosynthetic processes peak at different times in the cell cycle, revealing a temporal dynamic once thought limited to DNA synthesis.
Like many animals, field mice (<em >Apodemus agrarius</em>) fight to protect their territories.
Mouse Brain Cells Activate When They Witness a Fight
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Jun 1, 2023 | 2 min read
A subset of hypothalamic neurons mirrors aggression in mice, challenging previous views on the location and functional role of these cells.
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa
Cooperation and Cheating
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Jun 1, 2023 | 6 min read
Bacteria cooperate to benefit the collective, but cheaters can rig the system. How is the balance maintained?
Infographic showing strategies used by cooperators to curb the cheater population in a bacterial community
Infographic: Curbing the Cheaters 
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | Jun 1, 2023 | 1 min read
From spatial structuring to policing, cooperative bacteria have a wide toolkit to contain the spread of cheaters.
Elderly woman holding cell phone
A New Smartphone Application Improves Memory Recall in Older Adults
Mariella Bodemeier Loayza Careaga, PhD | May 8, 2023 | 3 min read
Neuroscientists developed and tested a promising mobile app that mitigates age-related memory decline.
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