Professor Rob Pitceathly (Professor of Clinical Neurology and Mitochondrial Medicine, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases) : ‘Fuel, Fault, Fix: A Journey in Mitochondrial Translation’
Professor Pitceathly completed his preclinical and clinical medical degree at St Andrews’ and Manchester Universities before commencing his post-graduate neurology specialist training in Manchester. He subsequently undertook a PhD in Mitochondrial Diseases at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology before obtaining an NIHR academic clinical lecturer post in London. In March 2019, he started an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship with Honorary Consultant status at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, where he co-leads the NHS England nationally commissioned Rare Mitochondrial Disorders Service.
Rob’s research crosscuts discovery and translational science by combining clinical observations with laboratory approaches to better understand the molecular basis and pathophysiological mechanisms underpinning primary mitochondrial diseases, and to better understand the contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction in other conditions, with the ultimate aim of developing treatments.
"Delivering my inaugural lecture was both a tremendous honour and an unforgettable experience. I’m incredibly privileged to work alongside an extraordinary group of researchers, technicians, professional staff, and students at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, all committed to improving the lives of those affected by untreatable neurological disorders. I’m deeply grateful for the guidance and support I’ve received from inspiring mentors, colleagues, and friends — and above all, for the unwavering love and patience of my wonderful family."
Professor Rimona Weil (Professor of Neurology, Neurodegenerative Diseases): ‘Seeing things differently’
Rimona is a Professor of Neurology at the UCL Dementia Research Centre and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology. She leads a Wellcome-funded longitudinal research programme investigating dementia and hallucinations in Parkinson’s disease using neuroimaging and plasma markers. Alongside this, she leads a clinical service managing patients with Parkinson’s dementia and Dementia with Lewy Bodies.
Professor Weil graduated from Downing College, Cambridge, and went on to study medicine at University College London. Her PhD research examined the integration of visual signals in the healthy and damaged brain and was undertaken at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL. After that, she trained as a clinical neurologist at the Royal Free Hospital and National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. She was awarded a post-doctoral UCL Excellence Fellowship to study visual changes in Parkinson’s disease, followed by a Wellcome Clinical Research Career Development Fellowship that examined predictors of dementia in Parkinson’s disease.
Currently, she holds a Wellcome Career Development Award that aims to understand the basis for how dementia happens in Parkinson's disease, using neuroimaging, plasma and cognitive markers.
Rimona's ultimate aim is to inform development of treatments to slow the progression of dementia in Parkinson’s disease.
Introduction, closing remarks and vote of thanks for Professor Rob Pitceathly were given by Professor Michael Hanna, Director, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology;
Vote of thanks for Professor Rimona Weil was given by Professor Geraint Rees, UCL Vice Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement)
Image (left to right): Professor Michael Hanna, Professor Rob Pitceathly, Professor Rimona Weil, Professor Geraint Rees
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