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The Graham Watts Laboratories for Research into Motor Neuron Disease
Lab. Head: Professor Linda Greensmith
Summary of Research Interests
Our work is aimed at improving our understanding of the mechanisms
involved in motoneuron death, with particular reference to the loss of
motoneurons that occurs in motor neuron diseases such as Amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder
in which motoneurons in the spinal cord and brain progressively die,
resulting in muscle paralysis and death, usually within 2-5 years of
diagnosis. There is currently no cure or treatment for this disease and
so the development of an effective therapy remains an imperative
ALS
is a multi-factorial disorder in which different pathological
mechanisms play a role. In our group we have been investigating the
contribution that some of these different mechanisms make to disease
including the role of protein chaperones, axonal transport defects as
well as mitochondrial deficits. We hope that a greater understanding of
the causative factors involved in the death of motor neurons may help us
to identify new therapeutic targets.
We use a multidisciplinary
approach in our experiments, examining motor neurons both in animal
models of motor neuron disease as well as in primary cell cultures of
motor neurons, muscles and glial cells. We also use a wide range of
techniques from cellular and molecular biology to whole animal systems
physiology. This combination of techniques allows us to examine the
molecular and cellular changes that take place within motor neurons in
culture under different conditions, to examine the effects and
mechanisms of action of potential neuroprotective agents, before moving
on to test the validity of our findings in vivo using animal models of
motor neuron disease. The overall aim of our research program is to help
in the development of effective therapeutic strategies for use in the
treatment of these fatal neurodegenerative disorders.
Click here to view our Current projects
Research Group:
Group Head:
Professor Linda Greensmith BSc. PhD
The Graham Watts Senior Research Fellow
Tel: 020 3448 4280
Email: l.greensmith{at}ucl.ac.uk
Current Group members:
James Dick BSc.
Lab Manager/Senior Research Technician
Tel: 020 3448 4218;
Email: James.Dick{at}.ucl.ac.uk
Postdoctoral Research Fellows :
Dr Bernadett Kalmar BSc. PhD Tel: 020 3448 4312; Email: b.kalmar{at}ucl.ac.uk
Dr Bilal Malik BSc. MSc. PhD Tel: 020 3448 4313 Email: b.malik{at}ucl.ac.uk
Dr Delphine Boerio PhD Email: boerio_delphine{at}yahoo.fr (co-supervised with Professor Hugh Bostock)
Dr Mhoriam Ahmed PhD Tel: 020 3448 4213; Email: mhoriam.ahmed{at}ucl.ac.uk
Dr Barney Bryson PhD Tel: 020 3448 4313; Email: barney.bryson{at}ucl.ac.uk
PhD Students:
Phil McGloldrick MRC Centre for Neuromuscular
Diseases PhD program Tel: 020 7837 3448 4184; Email: p.mcgoldrick{at}.ucl.ac.uk
Anna Gray PhD student Tel: 020 3448 4184; Email: a.gray{at}ucl.ac.uk
Katherine Gibbs PhD student Email katherine.gibbs.11{at}ucl.ac.uk
Leonette Annan PhD student Tel:020 3448 4213; Email leonette.annan.11{at}ucl.ac.uk
Clinical Fellows:
Dr Ching-Hua Lu Clinical Research Fellow (Co-supervised with Dr Andrea Malaspina, Queen Mary University of London) Tel: 020 3448 4312;
Email: ching-hua.lu{at}ucl.ac.uk
Dr Pietro Fratta Clinical Research Fellow (Co-supervised with Prof Elizabeth Fisher) Tel: 020 7837 3448 4421; Email: p.fratta{at}prion.ucl.ac.uk
Dr Alex Rossor Clinical Research Fellow (Co-supervised with Prof Mary Reilly) Tel: 020 7837 3448 4213 Email: alex.rossor{at}nhs.net
Current research funding
o The Brain Research Trust - The Graham Watts Bequest
o The Welcome Trust
o GlaxoSmithKline
o Clinical Research and Development Committee – NHNN
o Motor Neuron Disease Association
o Thierry Latran Foundation
o Medical Research Council
o Kennedy’s Disease Research Donation
o National Centre for Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs)
o Arthritis Research Campaign
