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Lindsay Kathryne Festa, PhD
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Research Assistant Professor of Neurology
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Department: Neurology
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Graduate Group Affiliations
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- Neuroscience e
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Contact information
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3516 Civic Center Blvd, ARC 502A
Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Philadelphia, PA 19104
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Email:
festal1@chop.edu
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festal1@chop.edu
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Education:
21 7 BA 17 (Psychology) c
2a Haverford College, 2009.
21 7 MS 19 (Pharmacology) c
34 Thomas Jefferson University, 2013.
21 8 PhD 26 (Pharmacology & Physiology) c
3e Drexel University College of Medicine, 2018.
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Permanent link21 7 BA 17 (Psychology) c
2a Haverford College, 2009.
21 7 MS 19 (Pharmacology) c
34 Thomas Jefferson University, 2013.
21 8 PhD 26 (Pharmacology & Physiology) c
3e Drexel University College of Medicine, 2018.
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1e2 Using cell culture, genetic, and disease models, Dr. Festa's work seeks to identify and manipulate novel functions of organelles within the oligodendrocyte lineage to uncover intrinsic mechanisms underlying developmental myelination, and demonstrate its therapeutic potential to alleviate cellular and functional white matter abnormalities comprising neurologic disease states, including multiple sclerosis, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Description of Research Expertise
4d4 Dr. Festa is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine and Division of Neurology at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The goal of Dr. Festa's research is to understand the basic mechanisms governing developmental myelination and to leverage this knowledge to develop novel therapeutics to target remyelination in aging and disease. In rodents and humans, the oligodendrocyte lineage is an active player in shaping neuronal circuitry and function. Moreover, oligodendrocytes have an endogenous capacity to restore their cell population via remyelination, a process driven primarily by the migration and differentiation of oligodendrocyte precursor cells (OPCs). The progression of OPCs and subsequent remyelination is closely regulated by intrinsic mechanisms; however, in conditions of chronic neuroinflammation and aging, spontaneous remyelination is often inefficient and eventually fails, leading to permanent neuronal degradation and clinical disability. There is a current unmet clinical need to identify regulators of oligodendrocyte homeostasis that are disrupted during disease states and can be utilized to promote functional recovery in patients.8
1e2 Using cell culture, genetic, and disease models, Dr. Festa's work seeks to identify and manipulate novel functions of organelles within the oligodendrocyte lineage to uncover intrinsic mechanisms underlying developmental myelination, and demonstrate its therapeutic potential to alleviate cellular and functional white matter abnormalities comprising neurologic disease states, including multiple sclerosis, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, and Alzheimer’s disease.
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c4 Festa LK, Jordan-Sciuttto KL, Grinspan JB: Neuroinflammation: an oligodendrocentric view. Glia 73(6): 1113-1129, June 2025.
15f Ho C, Luchetta J, Nash B, Festa L, Johnson J, Sacan A, Jackson J, Sanz-Clemente A, Brandimarti R, Meucci O: CXCL12 engages cortical inhibitory neurons to enhance dendritic spine plasticity and structured network activity. Journal of Neuroscience 45(24): e2213242025, June 2025.
173 Festa LK, Sciutto AL, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: Activation of the lysosomal cation channel TRPML1 controls oligodendrocyte actin polymerization and prevents bictegravir-mediated inhibition of oligodendrocyte maturation. Presented at the International Society of Neurovirology Conference 2025.
111 Festa LK, Fandino Pachon N, Chen SJ, Anderson RN, Sciutto AL, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: The lysosomal cation channel TRPML1 regulates oligodendrocyte morphology. Presented at EuroGlia 2025 2025.
165 Myers AK, Sakheim M, Rivell C, Fengler C, Festa LK, Guerra KM, Jarrahy L, Shin R, Case M, Chapman C, Basel L, Springer S, Kern N, Gidicsin J, Cho G, Kim S, Tighiouart M, Golden JA: Anxiety-associated behaviors following ablation of Miro1 from cortical excitatory neurons. eNeuro 2025.
d5 Festa LK, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL.: White matter injury across neurodegenerative disease. Trends Neurosci 47(1): 47-57, January 2024.
f8 Festa LK, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: TRPML1 is a novel regulator of the oligodendrocyte cytoskeleton. Presented at the 10th Tykeson Fellows Conference 2024 Notes: Poster.
100 Festa, L, Chen S, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: TRPML1 modulates the oligodendrocyte cytoskeleton via Rac1. Presented at the American Society for Neurochemistry 2024 Notes: Poster.
9b Festa L, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: TRPML1 is a novel regulator of the oligodendrocyte cytoskeleton 5c Presented at the Myelin Gordon Research Seminar 2024 Notes: Poster.
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Selected Publications
14f Long CC, Festa LK, Cruz-Berrios M, Johnson T, Mitchell CH, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: Acidic nanoparticles prevent pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)-induced oligodendrocyte impairments through lysosome reacidification in models of adolescence. Glia July 2025.c4 Festa LK, Jordan-Sciuttto KL, Grinspan JB: Neuroinflammation: an oligodendrocentric view. Glia 73(6): 1113-1129, June 2025.
15f Ho C, Luchetta J, Nash B, Festa L, Johnson J, Sacan A, Jackson J, Sanz-Clemente A, Brandimarti R, Meucci O: CXCL12 engages cortical inhibitory neurons to enhance dendritic spine plasticity and structured network activity. Journal of Neuroscience 45(24): e2213242025, June 2025.
173 Festa LK, Sciutto AL, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: Activation of the lysosomal cation channel TRPML1 controls oligodendrocyte actin polymerization and prevents bictegravir-mediated inhibition of oligodendrocyte maturation. Presented at the International Society of Neurovirology Conference 2025.
111 Festa LK, Fandino Pachon N, Chen SJ, Anderson RN, Sciutto AL, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: The lysosomal cation channel TRPML1 regulates oligodendrocyte morphology. Presented at EuroGlia 2025 2025.
165 Myers AK, Sakheim M, Rivell C, Fengler C, Festa LK, Guerra KM, Jarrahy L, Shin R, Case M, Chapman C, Basel L, Springer S, Kern N, Gidicsin J, Cho G, Kim S, Tighiouart M, Golden JA: Anxiety-associated behaviors following ablation of Miro1 from cortical excitatory neurons. eNeuro 2025.
d5 Festa LK, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL.: White matter injury across neurodegenerative disease. Trends Neurosci 47(1): 47-57, January 2024.
f8 Festa LK, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: TRPML1 is a novel regulator of the oligodendrocyte cytoskeleton. Presented at the 10th Tykeson Fellows Conference 2024 Notes: Poster.
100 Festa, L, Chen S, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: TRPML1 modulates the oligodendrocyte cytoskeleton via Rac1. Presented at the American Society for Neurochemistry 2024 Notes: Poster.
9b Festa L, Grinspan JB, Jordan-Sciutto KL: TRPML1 is a novel regulator of the oligodendrocyte cytoskeleton 5c Presented at the Myelin Gordon Research Seminar 2024 Notes: Poster.
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