Biography

I completed my BSc (Hons) Applied Biomedical Science degree at Abertay University, followed by an MRes at the University of Glasgow. During my MRes one of my projects involved protein import into the mitochondrial IMS, this lead to my interest in mitochondria leading me to pursue a PhD in the field.

Research Project

Investigating disease mechanisms of Wolfram syndrome in a zebrafish model

Principal Investigators: Dr Yu-Wai-Man and Professor John Sayer

Project details

Wolfram syndrome (WS) is a neurodegenerative disorder defined historically by the combination of diabetes insipidus, diabetes mellitus, optic atrophy and sensorineural deafness (DIDMOAD). The majority of patients with WS harbour recessive mutations within the WFS1 gene, which encodes for the Wolframin protein. Wolframin is implicated in a number of critical cellular pathways, including the ER stress response, calcium homeostasis, and mitochondrial biogenesis. My project involves the development and screening of a WFS1 knockout zebrafish model. This will hopefully deepen our understanding of the disease mechanisms, including the link with mitochondrial dysfunction, and hopefully allow for the use of the model as a therapeutic screening.

Contact: [email protected]

Sponsor/funder: Fight For Sight