Dr. Defne Amado

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Defne Amado, MD, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. Her clinical expertise is in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and she treats patients at the Penn Comprehensive ALS Center. Dr. Amado's research focuses on gene therapy-based approaches to understand and develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ALS and related disorders, including frontotemporal dementia and spinocerebellar ataxia. She has a background in gene therapy and neurobiology, having completed her PhD under Dr. Jean Bennett and postdoctoral training with Dr. Alice Chen-Plotkin and Dr. Beverly Davidson. Her lab utilizes advanced gene therapy techniques, including AAV vectors and gene silencing, and works with models such as iPSCs and mice. Dr. Amado is committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse lab environment, encouraging the development of MD/PhD students and graduate students interested in translational research.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2011-01-01 — Present

University of Pennsylvania • Philadelphia, PA

Teaching courses and conducting research in neurology with a focus on gene therapy and neurodegenerative diseases.

Requirements for University of Pennsylvania

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.6
GRE General
Verbal
Required:162
Quantitative
Required:162
Overall
Required:162
GMAT
Total Score
Required:728
Overall
Required:728
TOEFL
Total
Required:115
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree or equivalent Strong quantitative background
Application Checklist
  • Academic Transcripts
  • Letters of Recommendation (2-3)
  • Resume/CV
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Essays
Specialization Notes

Wharton Doctoral programs cover fields like Finance, Marketing, Management, and Operations, Information and Decisions.