On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, the PhD defense of Nawras Latif Wahab from the Department of Pharmacology was held for her dissertation titled: **Neuroprotective Effects of Levosimendan and Amifostine in a Mice Model of Alzheimer's Disease** The study aimed to investigate the potential neuroprotective effects of levosimendan and amifostine, both individually and in combination with donepezil, against Alzheimer's disease induced in laboratory mice. The study results showed that induction with scopolamine led to significant cognitive impairment in mice and an increase in acetylcholinesterase enzyme, oxidative stress markers, inflammation markers, and severe deposition of beta-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. Compared to the induced group, treatment with donepezil, amifostine, or levosimendan alone showed marked improvement in cognitive function in both tests, significant reductions in AChE, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, MDA, and an increase in SOD. The combination of donepezil with levosimendan demonstrated particularly synergistic effects on oxidative stress markers, while the combination of donepezil and amifostine was less effective than each drug alone. The current study concluded that preconditioning with either levosimendan or amifostine alone had neuroprotective effects, maintained cognitive function, and enhanced cholinergic activity in the induced Alzheimer’s model in mice. Furthermore, the combination of donepezil and levosimendan resulted in a more beneficial synergistic effect compared to the combination of donepezil and amifostine. The examination committee was composed of: - Prof. Dr. Abdul Karim Hamid Abdul (Chair) - Prof. Dr. Haider Sabah Kadhim (Member) - Prof. Dr. Ban Juma Qasim (Member) - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ali Kadhim Jalab (Member) - Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huda Ibrahim Qasim (Member) - Prof. Dr. Adeeb Ahmed Kadhim (Member and Supervisor) The dissertation was successfully accepted with distinction. 
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