Biography

I am a Postdoctoral Research Associate working in the laboratories of Professor Sir Doug Turnbull and Professor Robert Lightowlers. I obtained my BSc Hons degree in Physiology at the University of Glasgow, where I also completed my PhD research in the field of cardiac physiology.

My interest in mitochondria began with my PhD research, in which I developed fluorescence-based techniques for investigating mitochondrial function in cardiac cells and tissues. My work at the centre picks up from this research, and my current interests are developing fluorescence assays for examining mitochondrial function that can be used with high-throughput screening methods. The ultimate aim of this is to facilitate the identification of compounds with the potential for treating mitochondrial disease.

Research Focus

Developing fluorescence assays of mitochondrial function for high-throughput screening of compounds

Mitochondrial dysfunction has been associated with numerous diseases, but there are currently limited treatment strategies for improving mitochondrial function. Working within the Treatments Team, this project will exploit the intrinsic fluorescent properties of the metabolites NAD(P)H and FAD to develop an assay for the assessment of mitochondrial redox state. Alongside other fluorescence measurements, this provides an index of respiratory chain function and can be used to examine the effects of drugs (positive and negative) on mitochondrial activity.

The aim of this project is to further develop this assay for high throughput screening of compound libraries and assess the mitochondrial effects of these compounds in a range of cell types, in both healthy and diseased states. Combined with the range of screening strategies carried out by other members of the team, the end goal is to identify compounds which can potentially be developed to treat mitochondrial disease.

Sponsor/funder: Wellcome Trust

PhD Thesis (2011): A Study of Mitochondrial Redox State in Cardiac Muscle