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Appointment
- Honorary Associate Professor
- Neurodegenerative Diseases
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
- Faculty of Brain Sciences
Biography
I studied biochemistry at the University of Manchester, undertaking a
year of research at the Mayo Clinic in Florida as part of this during
which I investigated cellular dysfunction linked to mutations in the
amyloid precursor protein and presenilin 1 associated with familial
Alzheimer's disease. I then moved to the MRC Prion Unit at UCL, where I
carried out graduate studies into the molecular mechanisms of scrapie
gaining my PhD in 2005. From 2005 to 2007 I was visiting fellow in the
Laboratory of Neurogenetics at the National Institute of Aging in
Bethesda, mentored by Mark Cookson. It was here that I first started
working on LRRK2, a protein which has been the object of my affections
ever since. I returned to UCL in 2007 as a Brain Research Trust senior
research fellow in the Department of Molecular Neuroscience and have
continued my research into the basis of Parkinson's disease linked to
mutations in LRRK2. I am currently a Parkinson's UK research fellow.
Research Groups
Research Themes
See More
See LessResearch Summary
My research concentrates on characterizing the biological
insults leading to cell death in inherited forms of Parkinsonism linked
to mutations in LRRK2. We are using a range of
experimental approaches to examine the impact of mutations both on the
biochemistry of these proteins, their folding and activities, and on the
cell biology of neuronal cells. Our aim is to generate a comprehensive
overview of the structure/function/phenotype of LRRK2, linking this in to the pathologies observed in patients.
Techniques used include cell and primary culture, kinase and GTPase analysis,
circular dichroism spectropolarimetery, analytical ultracentrifugation.
Teaching Summary
I am a module convener on the MSc in Clinical Neuroscience here at Queen Square, involved in organising the course, lecturing and acting as a tutor.
