Professor Steven Zuryn
Research overview
The Zuryn lab investigates how mitochondrial dysfunction drives ageing and neurodegenerative disease, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and motor neuron disease. As global life expectancy rises, these conditions represent a growing burden, underpinned by cellular stress, protein aggregation and declining neuronal function.
Using advanced molecular and cellular approaches in Caenorhabditis elegans and human cell models, the lab focuses on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), which accumulates mutations over time and contributes to progressive cellular decline.
Their work aims to uncover how cells respond to mitochondrial damage, and how these processes can be harnessed to protect brain health.
Research focus
The lab studies how cells detect, respond to and mitigate mitochondrial dysfunction, with a focus on:
- Accumulation and propagation of mtDNA mutations
- Interactions between protein aggregation and mitochondrial stress
- Cellular quality control pathways, including mitophagy
- System-wide stress signalling and regulation
- Mechanisms that protect against inheritance of mitochondrial defects
By uncovering the fundamental mechanisms that protect cells from mitochondrial dysfunction, the Zuryn lab aims to identify new therapeutic targets and strategies for treating age-related conditions and neurodegenerative diseases.
Latest news
- 22 January 2026
- 15 January 2026
- 24 October 2024
- 18 July 2023
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Please email Prof. Zuryn for enquiries about honours, PhD, and postdoctoral positions.