Maria Grazia Spillantini
University of Cambridge
Maria Grazia Spillantini is Professor of Molecular Neurology in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge. She is most noted for identifying the protein alpha-synuclein as the major component of Lewy bodies, the characteristic protein deposit found in the brain in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. She has also identified mutations in the MAPT gene as a heritable cause for frontotemporal dementia.
Read biography ↓Biography, research & contributions
Maria Grazia Spillantini is Professor of Molecular Neurology in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Cambridge. She is most noted for identifying the protein alpha-synuclein as the major component of Lewy bodies, the characteristic protein deposit found in the brain in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. She has also identified mutations in the MAPT gene as a heritable cause for frontotemporal dementia.
Affiliation
University of Cambridge
Top Publications
- α-Synuclein in Lewy bodies (1997) - 8,583 citations
- α-Synuclein in filamentous inclusions of Lewy bodies from Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies (1998) - 3,253 citations
- Multiple isoforms of human microtubule-associated protein tau: sequences and localization in neurofibrillary tangles of Alzheimer's disease (1989) - 2,543 citations
- A Century of Alzheimer's Disease (2006) - 2,132 citations
- Mutation in the tau gene in familial multiple system tauopathy with presenile dementia (1998) - 1,495 citations
At a glance
- Full name
- Maria Grazia Spillantini
- ORCID
- 0000-0002-8544-7332
- OpenAlex ID
- https://openalex.org/A5037609259
Research interests
- Alzheimer's disease research and treatments, Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research, Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments, Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration Mechanisms, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research
Research topics
Education
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Selected research & further reading
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Citation & publication trends
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Source: OpenAlex · Retrieved 2026-10-08. Metrics are database-specific and are not a scientific ranking.
Most-cited linked publications
Publications matched across ORCID and OpenAlex. Citation counts are source-specific.
- α-Synuclein in Lewy bodies ↗1997 · Nature8,583OpenAlex citations
- α-Synuclein in filamentous inclusions of Lewy bodies from Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies ↗1998 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences3,253OpenAlex citations
- 2,543OpenAlex citations
- A Century of Alzheimer's Disease ↗2006 · Science2,132OpenAlex citations
- Mutation in the tau gene in familial multiple system tauopathy with presenile dementia ↗1998 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences1,495OpenAlex citations
Recent linked publications
Publications matched across ORCID and OpenAlex. Citation counts are source-specific.
- α-Synuclein in Lewy bodies ↗1997 · Nature
- α-Synuclein in filamentous inclusions of Lewy bodies from Parkinson’s disease and dementia with Lewy bodies ↗1998 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- A Century of Alzheimer's Disease ↗2006 · Science
- Mutation in the tau gene in familial multiple system tauopathy with presenile dementia ↗1998 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
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Sign in to claim this profileSources & data information
Editorial review: 2026-10-08 · Last data update: 2026-10-08 00:20:36
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