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Dr Sarah Carpanini
(she/her)
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for Sarah Carpanini
Research Fellow
Overview
Recent studies comparing genetic information from healthy individuals and those with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have identified small changes in genes that increase the risk of developing AD. These studies have identified an important role for genes involved in the immune system, particularly those within the complement system. Proteins produced by complement system activation tag the connections (synapses) between brain cells for removal. Excess removal of synapses can contribute to cognitive impairment leading to diseases such as AD.
My research uses induced pluripotent stem cell derived neurons and microglia to understand how small changes in complement genes increase the chance of developing AD.
Publication
2025
- Capitani, L. and Carpanini, S. M. 2025. HLA’s hidden hand in Alzheimer’s disease—five research questions en route to an answer. Brain Communications 7 (6) fcaf438. (10.1093/braincomms/fcaf438)
- Carpanini, S. M. and Sims, R. 2025. Potential impact of long-read sequencing on complement-mediated diseases. Trends in Immunology 46 (11), pp.714-716. (10.1016/j.it.2025.09.006)
- Maguire, E. et al. 2025. Modeling common Alzheimer’s disease with high and low polygenic risk in human iPSC: A large-scale research resource. Stem Cell Reports 20 (8) 102570. (10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102570)
- Byrne, R. A. et al. 2025. The schizophrenia-associated gene CSMD1 encodes a complement classical pathway inhibitor predominantly expressed by astrocytes and at synapses in mice and humans. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 127 , pp.287-302. (10.1016/j.bbi.2025.03.026)
- Carpanini, S. M. et al. 2025. TREM2 supports neuronal protection and microglial reactivity without an effect on misfolded protein deposition in chronic neurodegenerative prion disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience 19 1525017. (10.3389/fnins.2025.1525017)
2024
- Nimmo, J. et al. 2024. The complement system in neurodegenerative diseases. Clinical Science 138 (6), pp.387-412. (10.1042/cs20230513)
- Daskoulidou, N. et al. 2024. Involvement of complement in Alzheimer's Disease: From genetics through pathology to therapeutic strategies. In: Ellenbroek, B. A. et al., Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. , pp.1-22. (10.1007/7854_2024_524)
2023
- Veteleanu, A. et al., 2023. Alzheimer’s disease-associated complement gene variants influence plasma complement protein levels. Journal of Neuroinflammation 20 (1) 169. (10.1186/s12974-023-02850-6)
- Daskoulidou, N. et al. 2023. Complement receptor 1 is expressed on brain cells and in the human brain. Glia 71 (6), pp.1522-1535. (10.1002/glia.24355)
2022
- Carpanini, S. M. et al. 2022. Terminal complement pathway activation drives synaptic Loss in Alzheimer’s disease models. Acta Neuropathologica Communications 10 99. (10.1186/s40478-022-01404-w)
2021
- Torvell, M. et al. 2021. Genetic insights into the impact of complement in Alzheimer's disease. Genes 12 (12) 1990. (10.3390/genes12121990)
- Byrne, R. A. J. et al. 2021. Novel monoclonal antibodies against mouse C1q: characterisation and development of a quantitative ELISA for mouse C1q. Molecular Neurobiology 58 (9), pp.4323-4336. (10.1007/s12035-021-02419-5)
- Carpanini, S. M. et al. 2021. The impact of complement genes on the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Genes 12 (3) 443. (10.3390/genes12030443)
2019
- Carpanini, S. M. , Torvell, M. and Morgan, B. P. 2019. Therapeutic inhibition of the complement system in diseases of the central nervous system. Frontiers in Immunology 10 , pp.-. 362. (10.3389/fimmu.2019.00362)
Articles
- Capitani, L. and Carpanini, S. M. 2025. HLA’s hidden hand in Alzheimer’s disease—five research questions en route to an answer. Brain Communications 7 (6) fcaf438. (10.1093/braincomms/fcaf438)
- Carpanini, S. M. and Sims, R. 2025. Potential impact of long-read sequencing on complement-mediated diseases. Trends in Immunology 46 (11), pp.714-716. (10.1016/j.it.2025.09.006)
- Maguire, E. et al. 2025. Modeling common Alzheimer’s disease with high and low polygenic risk in human iPSC: A large-scale research resource. Stem Cell Reports 20 (8) 102570. (10.1016/j.stemcr.2025.102570)
- Byrne, R. A. et al. 2025. The schizophrenia-associated gene CSMD1 encodes a complement classical pathway inhibitor predominantly expressed by astrocytes and at synapses in mice and humans. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity 127 , pp.287-302. (10.1016/j.bbi.2025.03.026)
- Carpanini, S. M. et al. 2025. TREM2 supports neuronal protection and microglial reactivity without an effect on misfolded protein deposition in chronic neurodegenerative prion disease. Frontiers in Neuroscience 19 1525017. (10.3389/fnins.2025.1525017)
- Nimmo, J. et al. 2024. The complement system in neurodegenerative diseases. Clinical Science 138 (6), pp.387-412. (10.1042/cs20230513)
- Veteleanu, A. et al., 2023. Alzheimer’s disease-associated complement gene variants influence plasma complement protein levels. Journal of Neuroinflammation 20 (1) 169. (10.1186/s12974-023-02850-6)
- Daskoulidou, N. et al. 2023. Complement receptor 1 is expressed on brain cells and in the human brain. Glia 71 (6), pp.1522-1535. (10.1002/glia.24355)
- Carpanini, S. M. et al. 2022. Terminal complement pathway activation drives synaptic Loss in Alzheimer’s disease models. Acta Neuropathologica Communications 10 99. (10.1186/s40478-022-01404-w)
- Torvell, M. et al. 2021. Genetic insights into the impact of complement in Alzheimer's disease. Genes 12 (12) 1990. (10.3390/genes12121990)
- Byrne, R. A. J. et al. 2021. Novel monoclonal antibodies against mouse C1q: characterisation and development of a quantitative ELISA for mouse C1q. Molecular Neurobiology 58 (9), pp.4323-4336. (10.1007/s12035-021-02419-5)
- Carpanini, S. M. et al. 2021. The impact of complement genes on the risk of late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Genes 12 (3) 443. (10.3390/genes12030443)
- Carpanini, S. M. , Torvell, M. and Morgan, B. P. 2019. Therapeutic inhibition of the complement system in diseases of the central nervous system. Frontiers in Immunology 10 , pp.-. 362. (10.3389/fimmu.2019.00362)
Book sections
- Daskoulidou, N. et al. 2024. Involvement of complement in Alzheimer's Disease: From genetics through pathology to therapeutic strategies. In: Ellenbroek, B. A. et al., Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. , pp.1-22. (10.1007/7854_2024_524)
Biography
I graduated with a BSc in Genetics from the University of Liverpool in 2009. I undertook my PhD and first research position at the University of Edinburgh working on models of neurodegenerative disease. I moved to Cardiff University in 2018 to work as a post-doctoral researcher in the laboratory of Professor Paul Morgan in the UK Dementia Research Institute. Here, I investigated how synapses, the connections between neurons are lost in Alzheimer’s disease. I was awarded a highly competitive ARUK Research Fellowship in 2023 to understand how changes in genes that make up the complement system impact synapse loss, one of the earliest changes in the brain occurring during the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Contact Details
[email protected]
Hadyn Ellis Building, Room Dementia Research Institute, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
Hadyn Ellis Building, Room Dementia Research Institute, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ