Queensland Brain Institute

Dr Liviu Bodea

Research Fellow & Affiliate of Clem Jones Centre for Ageing and Dementia Research
Clem Jones Centre for Ageing Dementia Research
+61 7 334 66326
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Researcher biography

Dr Liviu-Gabriel Bodea is a brain immune cell biologist specialising in the functional interplay between microglia, the brain's primary resident immune cells, and surrounding cell types, both in health and disease. He is a Research Fellow at the School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, and is affiliated with the Clem Jones Centre in Ageing Dementia Research, Queensland Brain Institute.

Liviu was awarded his Dr.rer.nat. (PhD) title from the University of Bonn, Germany (2014), working in the group of Prof. Harald Neumann on projects related to microglia physiology. He then relocated to Australia as the Peter Hilton Early Career Fellow in Ageing Dementia Research (2014-2019) to continue his work with Prof. Jürgen Götz on the underlying mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Frontotemporal dementia. He secured major extramural funding for his research (NHMRC Project Grant, NHMRC Ideas Grant, Dementia Australia Research Foundation Mid-Career Fellowship), and since July 2024, he has led the Microglia Metabolic Reprogramming and Proteostasis Research Team within the laboratory of Assoc. Prof. Karin Borges.

Liviu has significant experience in generating and analysing both in vivo and in vitro models (from stable cell lines and primary cultures to genetically modified mice). His work combines various biochemical and molecular techniques, ranging from high-resolution microscopy to omics (transcriptomics, proteomics) and bioorthogonal labelling to analyse newly synthesised proteins.

Liviu has extensive experience in guiding both undergraduate and postgraduate students into the wonders of scientific research :)

Complete List of Published Work: PubMed Bibliography

Funding and Awards

2024-2027 NHMRC Ideas Grant #2030460 (sole CI, ~AU$ 800,000)

2022-2024 Dementia Australia Research Foundation Mid-Carrier Research Fellowship (AU$ 375,000)

2022 The University of Queensland Research Stimulus Fellowship (AU$ 150,000)

2019 Emergency Services Queensland Philanthropic Support (AU$ 25,000)

2018-2021 NHMRC Project Grant #1147569 (CIB, ~AU$ 460,000)

2014-2019 Peter Hilton Early Career Research Fellowship in Ageing Dement (AU$ 500,000)

Research Impact, Leadership and Professional Activities

Dr. Bodea attracted >3,500 citations (h-index 15 @Google Scholar), including 6 articles with >100 citations (Google Scholar) and Web of Science 2x Highly Cited Papers. In 2021, Expertscape recognised Dr. Bodea as one of the top-rated researchers in the field of tauopathy, placing him in the top 0.8% of >142,000 published authors worldwide on tauopathies between 2012 and 2021. Further proving its impact, his work was cited in 22 patents.

Dr. Bodea's study on the microglial TYROBP in late-onset AD (Cell 2013, co-first author, former Highly Cited Publication @Web of Science) represents a milestone in the field, with >1700 citations (Google Scholar). He also revealed the complement-induced neurodegeneration of dopaminergic neurons following peripheral immune stimulation (JNeurosci 2014, first author). More recently, he coordinated studies that centred on the effect of Tau protein (molecule relevant for Alzheimer's disease) on protein synthesis (EMBO J 2019 and Acta Neuropathologica Communications 2021), the use of artificial amino acids and de novo proteome analysis for the investigation of memory (eLife 2020) and microglial physiology (STARProtocols 2023), and the role of neuronal PTEN enzyme in synaptic engulfment by microglia (Acta Neuropathologica 2020). He published authoritative reviews in the Journal of Neurochemistry (2017), Nature Reviews Neurology (2018), Nature Reviews Neuroscience (2018), and Brain Research Bulletin (2021).

Dr. Bodea has been a grant reviewer for Alzheimer's Australia/Dementia Research Foundation (since 2016), MS Research Australia (since 2019), and NHMRC (since 2021). He was Lead Guest Editor for a Special Research Topic in Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience (2023), is a member of the Reviewer Board for Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience and was a member of the Reviewer Board for the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Mental Health section. He is an ad-hoc reviewer for various top-tier publications, ranging from Science to Trends in Cell Biology.

Dr. Bodea has mentored and supervised the daily activity of PhD students (2 completed, 1 current), Honours students (4 completed, all awarded First Class distinctions), 2 research assistants, and >15 other students on smaller projects. His PhD students received awards (e.g., the Alistair Rushworth Fellowship, Merck-QBI Best Student Publication Award, Best Oral Presentation). Both his completed PhD students continue with academic careers: Dr. Joey Benetatos, following a successful post-doctoral training in the Fraenkel Lab (MIT, USA), is currently pursuing his second post-doctoral position in the Prof. Loren Looger group (UCSD, USA), and Dr. Harrison T Evans is holding an Alzheimer's Association Postdoctoral Fellowship and is the Leon Levy Fellow in the Prof. Eric Klann lab (NYU, USA).

Publications

Journal Articles (30)
Conference Papers (6)
Preprints (2)

Journal Articles

Burgener, Sabrina Sofia, Milner, Mark Thomas, Dey, Shoumit, Morgan, Pooranee K., Blackmore, Daniel G., Frampton, Emmanuelle, Miller, Gregory, Duarte de Oliveira, Monalisa, Kenney, Kirsten Myra, Bajracharya, Rinie, Baumgartner, Ulrich, Collins, Thomas J. C., Xiong, Zherui, Nguyen, Quan, Meikle, Peter J., Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Clouston, Andrew, Boucher, Dave, Götz, Jurgen, Murphy, Andrew J., Kaye, Paul M. and Schroder, Kate (2025). Caspase-1 self-terminates protease activity to enforce homeostasis and prevent inflammasome-driven diseases. BioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2025.04.28.651119
Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel and Borges, Karin (2024). DREADD microglia? Targeted microglial Gi Activation in the acute phase can reduce seizure severity, but is detrimental in the long term. Epilepsy Currents, 24 (6), 420-422. doi: 10.1177/15357597241279761
Leinenga, Gerhard, To, Xuan Vinh, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Yousef, Jumana, Richter-Stretton, Gina, Palliyaguru, Tishila, Chicoteau, Antony, Dagley, Laura, Nasrallah, Fatima and Götz, Jürgen (2024). Correction: Scanning ultrasound-mediated memory and functional improvements do not require amyloid-β reduction. Molecular Psychiatry, 29 (12), 3968-3970. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02616-3
Bodea, Gabriela O., Botto, Juan M., Ferreiro, Maria E., Sanchez-Luque, Francisco J., de los Rios Barreda, Jose, Rasmussen, Jay, Rahman, Muhammed A., Fenlon, Laura R., Jansz, Natasha, Gubert, Carolina, Gerdes, Patricia, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Ajjikuttira, Prabha, Da Costa Guevara, Darwin J., Cumner, Linda, Bell, Charles C., Kozulin, Peter, Billon, Victor, Morell, Santiago, Kempen, Marie-Jeanne H. C., Love, Chloe J., Saha, Karabi, Palmer, Lucy M., Ewing, Adam D., Jhaveri, Dhanisha J., Richardson, Sandra R., Hannan, Anthony J. and Faulkner, Geoffrey J. (2024). LINE-1 retrotransposons contribute to mouse PV interneuron development. Nature Neuroscience, 27 (7), 1-34. doi: 10.1038/s41593-024-01650-2
Leinenga, Gerhard, To, Xuan Vinh, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Yousef, Jumana, Richter-Stretton, Gina, Palliyaguru, Tishila, Chicoteau, Antony, Dagley, Laura, Nasrallah, Fatima and Götz, Jürgen (2024). Scanning ultrasound-mediated memory and functional improvements do not require amyloid-β reduction. Molecular Psychiatry, 29 (8), 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02509-5
Keshvari, Sahar, Masson, Jesse J.R., Ferrari-Cestari, Michelle, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Nooru-Mohamed, Fathima, Tse, Brian W.C., Sokolowski, Kamil A., Batoon, Lena, Patkar, Omkar L., Sullivan, Mitchell A., Ebersbach, Hilmar, Stutz, Cian, Parton, Robert G., Summers, Kim M., Pettit, Allison R., Hume, David A. and Irvine, Katharine M. (2024). Reversible expansion of tissue macrophages in response to macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF1) transforms systemic lipid and carbohydrate metabolism. American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism, 326 (2), E149-E165. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00347.2023
Carlisle, Alison Keolani, Götz, Jürgen and Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel (2023). Three methods for examining the de novo proteome of microglia using BONCAT bioorthogonal labeling and FUNCAT click chemistry. STAR Protocols, 4 (3) 102418, 102418. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102418
Middeldorp, Jinte, Min, Rogier, Benetatos, Joseph and Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel (2023). Editorial: the neuron-glia crosstalk and beyond. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 17 1159597, 1-3. doi: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1159597
Milner, Mark T., Lawrence, Grace M. E. P., Holley, Caroline L., Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Götz, Jürgen, Burgener, Sabrina S. and Schroder, Kate (2022). Isolation and culture of pure adult mouse microglia and astrocytes for in vitro characterization and analyses. STAR Protocols, 3 (2) 101295, 1-16. doi: 10.1016/j.xpro.2022.101295
Leinenga, Gerhard, Bodea, Liviu‐Gabriel, Schröder, Jan, Sun, Giuzhi, Zhou, Yichen, Song, Jae, Grubman, Alexandra, Polo, Jose M. and Götz, Jürgen (2022). Transcriptional signature in microglia isolated from an Alzheimer's disease mouse model treated with scanning ultrasound. Bioengineering & Translational Medicine, 8 (1) e10329, e10329. doi: 10.1002/btm2.10329
Rasmussen, Jay, Ewing, Adam D., Bodea, Liviu‐Gabriel, Bodea, Gabriela O., Gearing, Marla and Faulkner, Geoffrey J. (2021). An early proinflammatory transcriptional response to tau pathology is age‐specific and foreshadows reduced tau burden. Brain Pathology, 32 (3) e13018, e13018. doi: 10.1111/bpa.13018
Evans, Harrison Tudor, Taylor, Deonne, Kneynsberg, Andrew, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel and Götz, Jürgen (2021). Altered ribosomal function and protein synthesis caused by tau. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 9 (1) 110, 110. doi: 10.1186/s40478-021-01208-4
Evans, Harrison Tudor, Blackmore, Daniel, Goetz, Juergen and Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel (2021). De novo proteomic methods for examining the molecular mechanisms underpinning long-term memory. Brain Research Bulletin, 169, 94-103. doi: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2020.12.015
Bajracharya, Rinie, Brici, David, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Janowicz, Phillip W., Götz, Jürgen and Nisbet, Rebecca M. (2021). Tau antibody isotype induces differential effects following passive immunisation of tau transgenic mice. Acta Neuropathologica Communications, 9 (1) 42, 1-13. doi: 10.1186/s40478-021-01147-0
Leinenga, Gerhard, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Koh, Wee Kiat, Nisbet, Rebecca M. and Götz, Jürgen (2020). Delivery of antibodies into the brain using focused scanning ultrasound. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2020 (161) e61372, 1-13. doi: 10.3791/61372
Benetatos, Joseph, Bennett, Rachel E., Evans, Harrison T., Ellis, Sevannah A., Hyman, Bradley T., Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel and Götz, Jürgen (2020). PTEN activation contributes to neuronal and synaptic engulfment by microglia in tauopathy. Acta Neuropathologica, 140 (1), 7-24. doi: 10.1007/s00401-020-02151-9
Evans, Harrison Tudor, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel and Götz, Jürgen (2020). Cell-specific non-canonical amino acid labelling identifies changes in the de novo proteome during memory formation. eLife, 9 e52990, e52990. doi: 10.7554/elife.52990
Evans, Harrison Tudor, Benetatos, Joseph, van Roijen, Marloes, Bodea, Liviu‐Gabriel and Götz, Jürgen (2019). Decreased synthesis of ribosomal proteins in tauopathy revealed by non‐canonical amino acid labelling. The EMBO Journal, 38 (13) e101174, e101174. doi: 10.15252/embj.2018101174
Linnartz-Gerlach, Bettina, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Klaus, Christine, Ginolhac, Aurélien, Halder, Rashi, Sinkkonen, Lasse, Walter, Jochen, Colonna, Marco and Neumann, Harald (2019). TREM2 triggers microglial density and age-related neuronal loss. GLIA, 67 (3) glia.23563, 539-550. doi: 10.1002/glia.23563
Götz, Jürgen, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel and Goedert, Michel (2018). Rodent models for Alzheimer disease. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 19 (10), 583-598. doi: 10.1038/s41583-018-0054-8
Polanco, Juan Carlos, Li, Chuanzhou, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Martinez-Marmol, Ramon, Meunier, Frederic A and Götz, Jürgen (2017). Amyloid-β and tau complexity - towards improved biomarkers and targeted therapies. Nature reviews. Neurology, 14 (1), 22-40. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2017.162
Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Evans, Harrison Tudor, Van der Jeugd, Ann, Ittner, Lars M., Delerue, Fabien, Kril, Jillian, Halliday, Glenda, Hodges, John, Kiernan, Mathew C. and Goetz, Juergen (2017). Accelerated aging exacerbates a pre-existing pathology in a tau transgenic mouse model. Aging Cell, 16 (2), 377-386. doi: 10.1111/acel.12565
Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Eckert, Anne, Ittner, Lars Matthias, Piguet, Olivier and Götz, Juergen (2016). Tau physiology and pathomechanisms in frontotemporal lobar degeneration. Journal of Neurochemistry, 138 (S1), 71-94. doi: 10.1111/jnc.13600
Capurro, Alberto, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Schaefer, Patrick, Luthi-Carter, Ruth and Perreau, Victoria M. (2015). Computational deconvolution of genome wide expression data from Parkinson's and Huntington's disease brain tissues using population-specific expression analysis. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 8 (441) 441, 1-12. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2014.00441
Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Wang, Yiner, Linnartz-Gerlach, Bettina, Kopatz, Jens, Sinkkonen, Lasse, Musgrove, Ruth, Kaoma, Tony, Muller, Arnaud, Vallar, Laurent, Di Monte, Donato A., Balling, Rudi and Neumann, Harald (2014). Neurodegeneration by activation of the microglial complement-phagosome pathway. Journal of Neuroscience, 34 (25), 8546-8556. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5002-13.2014
Kopatz, Jens, Beutner, Clara, Welle, Kristian, Bodea, Liviu G., Reinhardt, Julia, Claude, Janine, Linnartz-Gerlach, Bettina and Neumann, Harald (2013). Siglec-h on activated microglia for recognition and engulfment of glioma cells. GLIA, 61 (7), 1122-1133. doi: 10.1002/glia.22501
Cojocaru, Sabina, Radu, Mihaela, Bodea, Liviu G., Cimpeanu, Mirela M., Gheorghita, Gogu, Stoian, Gheorghe and Dinischiotu, Anca (2013). Water Soluble Pleurotus ostreatus Polysaccharide Down-Regulates the Expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in Caco-2 Cells. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca, 41 (2), 553-559. doi: 10.15835/nbha4129305
Zhang, Bin, Gaiteri, Chris, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Wang, Zhi, McElwee, Joshua, Podtelezhnikov, Alexei A., Zhang, Chunsheng, Xie, Tao, Tran, Linh, Dobrin, Radu, Fluder, Eugene, Clurman, Bruce, Melquist, Stacey, Narayanan, Manikandan, Suver, Christine, Shah, Hardik, Mahajan, Milind, Gillis, Tammy, Mysore, Jayalakshmi, MacDonald, Marcy E., Lamb, John R., Bennett, David A., Molony, Cliona, Stone, David J., Gudnason, Vilmundur, Myers, Amanda J., Schadt, Eric E., Neumann, Harald, Zhu, Jun and Emilsson, Valur (2013). Integrated systems approach identifies genetic nodes and networks in late-onset Alzheimer's disease. Cell, 153 (3), 707-720. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2013.03.030
Linnartz, Bettina, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel and Neumann, Harald (2012). Microglial carbohydrate-binding receptors for neural repair. Cell and Tissue Research, 349 (1), 215-227. doi: 10.1007/s00441-012-1342-7
Dragomir, G., Huculeci, R., Munteanu, C., Ceapa, C., Bodea, L. and Dinischiotu, A. (2007). The effect of deoxynivalenol on hepatic cell line HepG2. Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry, 23 (5-6-1), 583-588. doi: 10.2298/bah0701583d

Conference Papers

Bodea, L., Linnartz-Gerlach, B., Kopatz, J., Sinkkonen, L., Balling, R. and Neumann, H. (2015). Neurodegeneration by a microglial complement-phagosome pathway. 12th European Meeting on Glial Cell Function in Health and Disease, Bilbao, Spain, Jul 15-18, 2015. Hoboken, United States: John Wiley & Sons. doi: 10.1002/glia.22870
Bodea, L. -G., Colonna, M. and Neumann, H. (2013). Lack of Microglial Trem2 Receptor Increases Susceptibility to Dopaminergic Degeneration Triggered by Systemic Inflammation. 11th European Meeting on Glial Cell Function in Health and Disease, Berlin Germany, Jul 03-06, 2013. HOBOKEN: WILEY-BLACKWELL.
Linnartz, B., Bodea, L. G., Tenner, A. and Neumann, H. (2011). Desialylation of Neuronal Processes Leads to Complement Opsonization and Complement Receptor-3 Dependent Removal by Microglia. WILEY-BLACKWELL.
Bodea, L. G., Linnartz, B., Colonna, M. and Neumann, H. (2011). Microglial Trem2 Receptor Has a Protective Role for the Nigrostriatal System. WILEY-BLACKWELL.
Neumann, H., Linnartz, B. and Bodea, L. (2011). Microglial Clearance in Neurodegenerative Diseases. WILEY-BLACKWELL.
Bodea, L. G., Dannenberg, H., Colonna, M. and Neumann, H. (2009). Regulation of Dap12 Associated Receptors in Microglia by Systemic Inflammatory Stimuli. 9th European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease, Paris France, Sep 08-12, 2009. HOBOKEN: WILEY-LISS.

Preprints

Leinenga, Gerhard, To, Xuan Vinh, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Youse, Jumana, Richter-Stretton, Gina, Palliyaguru, Tishila, Chicoteau, Antony, Dagley, Laura, Nasrallah, Fatima and Götz, Jürgen (2023). Scanning ultrasound-mediated memory and functional improvements do not require amyloid-β reduction.
Bodea, Gabriela O., Ferreiro, Maria E., Sanchez-Luque, Francisco J., Botto, Juan M., Rasmussen, Jay, Rahman, Muhammed A., Fenlon, Laura R., Gubert, Carolina, Gerdes, Patricia, Bodea, Liviu-Gabriel, Ajjikuttira, Prabha, Kozulin, Peter, Billon, Victor, Morell, Santiago, Kempen, Marie-Jeanne H.C., Love, Chloe J., Palmer, Lucy M., Ewing, Adam D., Jhaveri, Dhanisha J., Richardson, Sandra R., Hannan, Anthony J. and Faulkner, Geoffrey J. (2022). LINE-1 retrotransposon activation intrinsic to interneuron development.