Miguel Moutinho, PharmD, PhD

Bio

Miguel Moutinho, PharmD, PhD, joined the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine as an Assistant Professor in 2025. He initially came to IUSM for his postdoctoral training in the Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology. Prior to that, he earned both a PharmD and a PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology, with a focus on Neurobiology, at the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Lisbon

Dr. Moutinho's research has been focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD). His graduate work was centered around neuronal cholesterol metabolism, and during his postdoctoral training, he shifted his focus to study the role of the brain-resident immune cells, microglia in ADRD.

Microglia represent a heterogeneous cell population that can acquire a plethora of phenotypes throughout disease progression, thus, their role in ADRD is highly complex and remains somewhat contentious. Dr. Moutinho's work aims to leverage this phenotypic plasticity of microglia to identify and modulate particular microglial functions that can lead to beneficial outcomes in disease. The overarching goal is to understand the mechanisms underlying microglia actions in ADRD that can guide the development of novel therapeutics as well as the identification of new biomarkers.