Sonia Levi has a solid track record in iron metabolism and, in particular, a long experience in the characterization of
structure and function of ferritins, the iron storage proteins, both in vitro and in cellular models. She was involved in the first discovery of Mitochondrial ferritin, an iron storage protein localized in mitochondria. She developed procaryotic and eucaryotic cellular
models to overexpress iron proteins and analyze their biological functions.
 Her recent research interest is focused to clarify the relationship between iron and neurodegeneration. With
 this aim, she developed and studied cellular and animal models of neurodegenerative disease characterized by brain iron deposition, like Neurodegeneration with Brain Iron Accumulation disorders. Recently, she has established human neuronal cellular models derived from fibroblasts of neuroferritinopathy, PKAN and CoPAN affected patients by genetic reprogramming. These new models represent a powerful in vitro model system in which to investigate pathogenetic mechanisms and to identify possible therapeutic targets and to test in vitro efficacy of specific compounds. She has previously administered projects funded by different agencies and successfully collaborated with other researchers in multicenter research projects, this activity produced several peer-reviewed publications from each project.

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