Laura Piccio

Associate Professor Laura Piccio is a clinician-scientist at the University of Sydney's School of Medical Sciences and Brain and Mind Centre, appointed in February 2019. Originally from Italy, she earned her medical degree from the University of Milan and completed her neurology residency there. She then moved to the United States on a National Multiple Sclerosis Society postdoctoral fellowship, obtaining her PhD from Washington University in St. Louis. She remained at Washington University as faculty in the Department of Neurology for nearly 15 years, establishing an independent research laboratory focused on neuroimmunology. Piccio has published over 170 peer-reviewed articles, garnering more than 15,000 citations with an h-index of 49.

Piccio's research investigates immune mechanisms of neurodegeneration in multiple sclerosis (MS) and related disorders, emphasizing microglia function, TREM2 signaling for myelin debris clearance and remyelination, and the interplay of diet, gut microbiome, metabolism, and immunity in MS pathogenesis. Her team explores intermittent calorie restriction's immunomodulatory effects in MS patients, as demonstrated in a randomized controlled trial published in 2024. She leads projects funded by MS Australia on TREM2 in remyelination and secured a $2.9 million NHMRC grant in 2023 for an integrated approach to target neuroinflammation in neurodegenerative diseases. Key publications include "MS4A4A and MS4A6A: New targets to enhance microglia protective functions in multiple sclerosis" (Neuron, 2026), "Spatial characterisation of TREM2 expression in actively demyelinating MS lesions" (2026), "Cardiometabolic and molecular adaptations to 6-month intermittent calorie restriction in people with multiple sclerosis" (Nature Communications, 2025), "Higher CSF sTREM2 and microglia activation are associated with slower rates of myelin repair" (EMBO Molecular Medicine, 2020), and "Targeting the gut to treat multiple sclerosis" (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2021). Earlier in her career, she received the Harry Weaver Neuroscience Scholar Award from the National MS Society in 2010. Her work bridges basic research and clinical translation, contributing significantly to MS therapeutics.

Professional Email: laura.piccio@sydney.edu.au