Winner. Scientist of the Year 2023

Angela TS Wyse

Academic title, degree: Full Professor, Ph.D.
Fields of science: Neuroscience, Medical and Health Science, Biochemistry
Research interest: Memory, bioenergetic, neuroinflammation and neurometabolic and neurodegenerative diseases
Career Development: Senior
Organization: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul
Position: Full Professor
City: Porto Alegre, RS
Country: Brazil

Angela TS Wyse is a Full Professor of Biochemistry at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), a Member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences, and a Member of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS, in the area of Medical and Health Sciences).

She obtained her PhD degree in Biochemistry at UFRGS. Her research work focuses on the neurotoxic mechanisms of homocysteine, encompassing multiple experimental approaches ranging from neurochemistry to behavior and on possible neuroprotective agents, such as antioxidants, folic acid, creatine, and physical exercise on behavioral and/or neurochemical alterations in experimental animal models of neurodegenerative disorders. Professor Wyse has shown that homocysteine, an amino acid accumulated in classical homocystinuria and known to be a risk factor for ischemia and neurodegenerative diseases, causes brain damage by affecting mitochondria, redox status, inflammation, cell signaling, and neural excitotoxicity, as well as changes in behavior, including memory impairment and anxiety. Her contributions have been cited and acknowledged by researchers all over the world; experimental findings show a correlation with symptoms in patients affected with classical homocystinuria, helping the understanding of lipid and DNA damage present in homocystinuria patients and showing potential to improve medical practice.

Professor Wyse has also studied the interferences of the maternal environment associated with protein diet and folic acid during the gestation period on reprogramming of the offspring metabolism response, which may impact the risk for chronic disease development in adulthood. These findings provide a new basis for understanding the biochemical and behavioral outcomes associated with folic acid supplementation and high-protein exposure throughout pregnancy.

More recently, she has studied the neurobiology of memory with a focus on mechanisms associated with the behavioral modulation of memory by physical exercise, environmental stimulation, and social support, during postnatal neurodevelopment and adulthood.

Professor Wyse’s contributions to the development of basic health sciences have been recognized by many awards, including “CAPES- Elsevier Award 2014” and “Pesquisador Gaúcho Award 2018”, from the State Research Foundation (FAPERGS) and IARC 2020 award.

Convinced that access to science and education are pillars of citizenship, she developed a social project for underprivileged children of the public school of Porto Alegre, stimulating interest in science.

More recently, Professor Wyse has found that the homocysteine, an amino acid non-protein produced by methionine circle, is a risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease; it is related to cellular and tissue damage, as well as behavior (motricity and memory and anxiety) impairment.

The treatment with rivastigmine + ibuprofen attenuated such effects, probably by regulating the Akt/GSK3β/GLUT1 signaling pathway. Reversal of Hcy cellular damage by these compounds may be a potential neuroprotective strategy for brain damage (10.1007/s12035-023-03408-6, 10.1007/s10571-021-01132-0 and many others - see PubMed (Wyse A ou Wyse AT).

She has researched the interferences of the maternal environment associated with protein diet and folic acid during the gestation period on reprogramming of the offspring metabolism response, which may impact the risk for chronic disease development in adulthood.

The results have shown that the supplemented diet with folic acid throughout pregnancy impairs memory and motricity of the offspring, and causes anxiety- and depression-like behavior, as well as induces neuroinflammation. An increased homocysteine levels in the offspring’s brain and blood from pregnant rats supplemented with a high-protein diet throughout pregnancy. Folic acid supplementation or maternal high-protein diet consumption throughout pregnancy may cause biochemical and behavioral impairments in the offspring (10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.10.016).

Prof. Wyse has published more than 400 scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals that have received an expressive number of citations (Web of Sciences 8700, H index= 43).

She has supervised 21 post-doctoral fellows, 35 PhD and 48 MSc students.

Professor Wyse has worked hard to defend Brazilian science.