Michelangelo Volpi
Biography
PhD Researcher, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and Basque Center for Applied Mathematics.
WEBSITE: https://michelangelov.github.io/michelangelovolpi-website/
Michelangelo Volpi is a Ph.D. researcher of the ASTROTECH Consortium, part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network, at the Basque Center for Applied Mathematics (BCAM) and the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). His research focuses on the biophysical modeling of neuron-glial circuits, with an emphasis on vascular coupling. He holds a Master's in Physics of Complex Systems from the University of Turin (Italy) and a Bachelor's in Physics from the University of Milan-Bicocca (Italy).
Conceptualization of the Glymphatic System and the Physics behind it
Recent research has uncovered the existence of a clearance mechanism in the central nervous system: the glymphatic system. It works as a substitute for the lymphatic system and comprises neuronal structures, glial cells, and blood vessels, all regulated by astrocytes in specialized functional territories that may range in size from a few nanometres up to many centimeters. The underpinning functioning involved water fluxes facilitating the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, interstitial fluids, and metabolic waste from the arterial perivascular space to the venous circulation. In this physiological framework, all the electrical signaling processes, which involve ion exchanges between intra and extracellular compartments, are affected by fluid transport. In this direction, this talk will focus on the biophysical description of the glymphatic pathway, exploring the mathematical foundations of transport equations and limitations in modeling.
