A Year of Passion and Science: Karen Javaloyes and Her Dietary Battle Against ALS and FTD

At Scorrochano Lab, we are celebrating a year filled with discovery, perseverance, and scientific passion! Today, we raise a toast to our wonderful predoctoral researcher, Karen Javaloyes García, who has completed her first year in our lab. With her boundless drive and rigor, Karen is advancing research into devastating neurodegenerative conditions like Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), investigating a truly captivating pathway: phenotypic modulation through targeted diet!

Challenging Neurodegeneration Through Metabolic Science

Karen’s doctoral project addresses the complex biological continuum connecting ALS and FTD. While both disorders manifest with distinct clinical profiles, they share profound genetic and molecular hallmarks. Karen’s work delves deep into how nutrition can directly reshape the pathological trajectory.

Her primary effort focuses on the comprehensive phenotyping of animal models carrying human-relevant genetic mutations. A major highlight is her work with the hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the c9orf72 gene, the most prevalent genetic cause of familial ALS/FTD. Faithful physiological mouse models have historically been a significant bottleneck in neurodegenerative research; Karen’s rigorous characterization work provides a crucial tool to accelerate therapeutic evaluation worldwide.

In parallel, Karen tests whether customized dietary formulas can slow down disease kinetics. She is evaluating these nutritional protocols in both c9orf72 and TARDBP (M323K) models. Crucially, the dietary interventions are introduced at 7 months of age—well after initial motor or cognitive symptoms emerge. This approach closely mirrors real-world clinical reality, where therapies are administered to patients who have already experienced symptom onset.

Why This Milestone Matters: Transforming Hope Into Practical Strategies

Karen’s work delivers two major impacts:
1. Clinical and Therapeutic Horizon: Demonstrating that diet can alter disease progression post-onset opens the door to non-pharmacological, low-toxicity interventions that complement pharmaceutical agents.
2. Empowering Young Scientific Talent: With a degree in Human Biology from Pompeu Fabra University and an MSc in Clinical Neuroscience from UCM, Karen represents the gold standard of early-career researchers turning complex hypotheses into meaningful biomedical knowledge.

Lab Life and the Future Ahead

Karen’s vibrant presence lights up the lab every single day. Whether exploring nature trails on weekends or diving into literature to refine an experimental assay, her curiosity is endless. In our team, passionate scientists like Karen are proving that dedication, collaborative spirit, and scientific rigor can pave the way toward therapies that transform lives.