Group Leader CV
Present Position:
Head of the Neurobiology Division of The Roslin Institute
Personal Chair University of Edinburgh
I am an internationally recognised leading scientist in TSE research and have developed, delivered and managed a high international scientific programme involving studies of animal and human Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs). I develop and use in vivo and in vitro model systems to define the basic mechanisms of disease and to address practical issues involving the TSEs. I head a division of six group leaders and forty scientific staff all researching TSEs. I also run a research group of seventeen people, including postdocs, technicians and PhD students.
The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are a group of fatal neurodegenerative diseases affecting humans and animals. TSEs present with characteristic pathology which can include neuronal loss, reactive astrogliosis, deposition of disease-associated prion protein (PrP) and vacuolation in the brain. The aim of our group is to examine the role of host PrP in TSEs such as scrapie, bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), the nature of the infectious and neurotoxic agent and to define routes of transmission between and within animal Basic research into neurodegenerative processes has also led into study of other diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. We use a variety of models from the molecular to whole animal level of study. We have produced a number of unique transgenic mouse models via gene-targeting and with these models we are investigating the effects of PrP sequence, the species barrier, the influence of PrP glycosylation on disease susceptibility and also the expression of PrP in various cell-types or at specific time-points during disease. The group also investigates human to human transmission of vCJD via blood transfusion and other potential routes. Our research programme currently receives funding from a number of different sources including BBSRC, MRC, DEFRA, DoH and EU.
Highlights of my contributions to the field include:
• Identifying a lack of correlation between PrPSc and infectivity
• Assessing the risk of BSE and vCJD transmitting to humans
• Establishing the importance of PrP expression in TSE transmission
• Defining the importance of specific polymorphisms and mutations in PrP in host susceptibility to TSEs
• Identifying a link between PrP and APP processing
Career History:
2003-present
Head of the Neurobiology Division of The Roslin Institute (formerly TSE Division of the IAH)
1996-2003
Principal Scientific Officer (Band 4), IAH, NPU directing a research a group of 16 people.
1989-96
Senior Scientific Officer (Band 5) IAH, NPU
I established and directed a research programme aimed at understanding the role of PrP in TSEs.
1986-88
Research Fellow Department of Medicine, University of Edinburgh supported by the Arthritis and Rheumatism Council for Research. Regulation of cytokine gene expression in arthritis.
1981-86
Research Fellow, Dept. of Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh. Supported by the Science and Engineering Research Council. Transposable DNA elements associated male sterile in maize.
1978-81
Research Fellow in the Department of Human Genetics, University of Edinburgh. Funded by the Cystic Fibrosis Research Trust. Development of a diagnostic assay for cystic fibrosis.
1975-1978
University of Edinburgh
Ph.D. in Human Genetics.
Supported by the Medical Research Council.
Thesis entitled “Biochemical and Immunological Investigation into Cystic Fibrosis”.
1974-1975
University of Edinburgh
M.Sc. in Human Genetics
Supported by the Medical Research Council.
Thesis entitled "The Cystic Fibrosis Factor".
1970-1974
University of St. Andrews
BSc 2.i Biochemistry