Sofia Massaro Tieze
About
Biography
Sofia earned a BSc in Biology and minor in Neuroscience at Haverford College, where she conducted her senior thesis research on aggregative protein interactions in a D. melanogaster model of C9ORF72-mediated Frontotemporal Dementia and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. At Haverford, she was also an NCAA saber fencer and a manager of the campus art gallery. After graduating, Sofia worked at NASA Ames Research Center for two years on the BioSentinel mission, a nanosatellite examining the effects of deep space radiation on biological systems. She helped optimize the mission’s data analysis pipeline, worked on improving yeast desiccation tolerance for long term spaceflight, and employed transcriptomic approaches to query responses to simulated galactic cosmic radiation at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory. As a PhD Student in Yale’s Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Sofia’s research interests have again turned to the molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disease. In the Chandra lab, she is investigating how the function of substrates of the depalmitoylating enzyme palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1 (PPT1) are altered in Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis (NCL), a rare lysosomal storage disorder that affects infants. She is also investigating the biogenesis and nature of lipofuscin, an autofluorescent material that accumulates in the brain in disease and natural aging states. During her time in the INP, Sofia has served as a coordinator for INP outreach and recruitment committees, a student accessibility aide, and a Graduate Student Assembly representative for the Neuroscience Department. She is currently a Graduate Writing Fellow for the Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. Outside of the lab, Sofia loves to travel home to her native Colorado or as far abroad as her bank account will allow. She is also an avid rock climber and soccer player, and can be found riding her bike around New Haven, baking, or thrift shopping for first edition novels.
Education & Training
- MPhil
- Yale University, Neuroscience (2022)
- BSc
- Haverford College (2017)
Research
Publications
Featured Publications
Identification of substrates of palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1 highlights roles of depalmitoylation in disulfide bond formation and synaptic function
Gorenberg EL, Tieze S, Yücel B, Zhao HR, Chou V, Wirak GS, Tomita S, Lam TT, Chandra SS. Identification of substrates of palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1 highlights roles of depalmitoylation in disulfide bond formation and synaptic function. PLOS Biology 2022, 20: e3001590. PMID: 35358180, PMCID: PMC9004782, DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3001590.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPalmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1Disulfide bond formationNeuronal ceroid lipofuscinosisPosttranslational modificationsRole of PPT1Identification of substratesResin-assisted captureEnzyme palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 1Synaptic adhesion moleculesNeurodegenerative diseasesMature proteinMitochondrial proteinsMolecular dissectionPutative substratesDepalmitoylationKnockout mouse brainFunction mutationsStringent screenMolecular pathwaysSynapse functionDisulfide bondsProteinDevastating neurodegenerative diseaseDisease mechanismsSynaptic function
2023
Reduction of Nemo-like kinase increases lysosome biogenesis and ameliorates TDP-43-related neurodegeneration
Tejwani L, Jung Y, Kokubu H, Sowmithra S, Ni L, Lee C, Sanders B, Lee P, Xiang Y, Luttik K, Soriano A, Yoon J, Park J, Ro H, Ju H, Liao C, Tieze S, Rigo F, Jafar-Nejad P, Lim J. Reduction of Nemo-like kinase increases lysosome biogenesis and ameliorates TDP-43-related neurodegeneration. Journal Of Clinical Investigation 2023, 133: e138207. PMID: 37384409, PMCID: PMC10425213, DOI: 10.1172/jci138207.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsAmyotrophic lateral sclerosisTDP-43-related neurodegenerationNeurodegenerative disordersTransactive response DNA-binding protein 43Sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosisDNA-binding protein 43Subset of patientsTDP-43 speciesTDP-43 inclusionsDistinct mouse modelsTDP-43 proteinopathyFamilial amyotrophic lateral sclerosisNemo-like kinaseMultiple neurodegenerative disordersAutophagy/lysosome pathwayTDP-43-positive aggregatesALS patientsALS casesSporadic ALSPharmacological reductionProtein 43Lateral sclerosisMouse modelParkinson's diseaseTDP-43BioSentinel: Validating Sensitivity of Yeast Biosensors to Deep Space Relevant Radiation
Liddell L, Gentry D, Gilbert R, Marina D, Tieze S, Padgen M, Akiyama K, Keenan K, Bhattacharya S, Santa Maria S. BioSentinel: Validating Sensitivity of Yeast Biosensors to Deep Space Relevant Radiation. Astrobiology 2023, 23: 648-656. PMID: 37052477, PMCID: PMC10254971, DOI: 10.1089/ast.2022.0124.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2022
Subcellular Fractionation for the Isolation of Synaptic Components from the Murine Brain.
Massaro Tieze S, Chandra SS, Vidyadhara DJ. Subcellular Fractionation for the Isolation of Synaptic Components from the Murine Brain. Journal Of Visualized Experiments 2022 PMID: 36190269, PMCID: PMC10936730, DOI: 10.3791/64574.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsSubcellular fractionationPost-synaptic compartmentsBiochemical isolationSub-synaptic compartmentsSynaptic cytosolPlasma membraneMolecular basisEnrichment analysisNeuronal preMolecular etiologySynaptic vesiclesSynaptic terminalsSynaptic plasma membranesSynaptic componentsBrain tissue homogenizationSynaptic terminal structureTerminal structureActive stateNeuronal communicationMurine brainSynaptic structureFunctional characteristicsMouse brainHypotonic lysisSynaptic dysfunction
2020
BioSentinel: A Biological CubeSat for Deep Space Exploration
Tieze S, Liddell LC, Santa Maria SR, Bhattacharya S. BioSentinel: A Biological CubeSat for Deep Space Exploration. Astrobiology 2020, 23: 631-636. PMID: 32282239, PMCID: PMC10254969, DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2068.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchBioSentinel: Long-Term Saccharomyces cerevisiae Preservation for a Deep Space Biosensor Mission
Santa Maria SR, Marina DB, Tieze S, Liddell LC, Bhattacharya S. BioSentinel: Long-Term Saccharomyces cerevisiae Preservation for a Deep Space Biosensor Mission. Astrobiology 2020, 23: 617-630. PMID: 31905002, PMCID: PMC10254977, DOI: 10.1089/ast.2019.2073.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
Links & Media
News
- April 05, 2022
#TraineeTuesday: Sofia Tieze