Our aim is to understand the causes and consequences of cholinergic basal forebrain neuron degeneration, with a focus on the role of neurotrophins in health and disease, in particular relating to dementia, with the long term objective to identify therapeutic strategies and compounds that can prevent or slow degeneration and cognitive impairment in humans.

  • delineation of p75 death signalling pathways

  • generation of genetically modified mice with modified p75 neurotrophin receptor function

  • generation and characterisation of a novel OSA mouse model

  • demonstration of a link between intermittent hypoxia and cholinergic basal forebrain neuron degeneration

  • development of a candidate therapy (called c29) that prevents p75NTR death signalling pathway and promotes cholinergic neuron survival in animal models of neurodegeneration.

The laboratory has expertise in neurotrophins and their signalling pathways, cholinergic basal forebrain neuron anatomy, function and manipulation, and in neurodegenerative disease particularly Alzheimer’s and motor neuron disease.

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