Alessandra Tammaro, postdoc and junior group leader at Amsterdam UMC, is breaking new ground with her research into the harmful effects of ultrafine particles on fetal kidney development.
Backed by a Starting Grant from the Spinoza Fund, she aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind this damage, an area with little prior knowledge. Collaborating with global institutions, including the University of São Paulo and Hasselt University, Tammaro’s research is critical for understanding how pollution may accelerate kidney aging and increase the risk of chronic diseases later in life.
Her work, recently highlighted in Janus magazine, focuses on the impact of ultrafine particles—tiny pollutants that can enter the bloodstream through the lungs and affect other organs, including the kidneys. By studying mice exposed to these particles from fetal stages through early development, Tammaro seeks to uncover how air pollution harms kidney cells and what measures can be taken to protect vulnerable populations, particularly pregnant women and their unborn children.
Read the full interview here.