SMB Seminar Series
SMB seminars take place on Wednesday's at 13.00, unless otherwise stated.
2024/2025 Semester
| Date |
Details |
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| 2.10.24 |
Speaker: Prof Darren Monckton, University of Glasgow Talk Title: Unstable DNA in Huntington disease, myotonic dystrophy and related disorders: dynamics, consequences and therapeutic opportunities Venue: Yudowitz LT Biog: Darren obtained a BSc in biochemistry from the University of Bath (1989) and a PhD in human genetics from the University of Leicester (1992) where he worked on minisatellite genetics with Prof Sir Alec Jeffreys. He did postdoctoral research on myotonic dystrophy genetics at Baylor College of Medicine with Tom Caskey and MD Anderson Cancer Center with Mike Siciliano, where he was the Muscular Dystrophy Association Sammy Davies Junior Neuromuscular Disease Research Fellow. In 1996 he took up a lectureship in genetics at the UofG, where he was also the recipient of a Lister Institute Research Fellowship. He is currently Prof of Human Genetics and leads an active research team investigating the basis and consequences of genetic instability in human disease. In particular, his team is defining the role of DNA repair and somatic expansion of the CTG•CAG as a major driver of pathology and novel therapeutic target in myotonic dystrophy, Huntington disease, and related disorders. |
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| 16.10.24 |
Speaker: Dr Jennifer Tullet, University of Kent Talk Title: SKN-1B/Nrf: A sexually dimorphic switch to control appetite behaviour Venue: Yudowitz LT Biog: Jenny joined the University of Kent in 2014 after postdoctoral research at University College London and Harvard. She earned her PhD at Imperial College London under Prof Malcolm Parker. Promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2018 and Reader in 2021, her research explores molecules and processes that regulate lifespan and health using the nematode worm C. elegans. Her work aims to extend lifespan while improving late-life health, with studies spanning appetite regulation, stress resistance, neurobiology, metabolism, and transcriptional regulation. Jenny also directs Kent’s Biology Undergraduate programme and teaches neurobiology and genetics. |
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| 30.10.24 |
Speaker: Prof Lilach Sheiner, University of Glasgow Talk Title: Knowledge gaps and opportunities hiding in the mitochondria of the eukaryotic parasites causing toxoplasmosis and malaria Venue: Yudowitz LT https://www.gla.ac.uk/research/az/wcip/research/researchleaders/sheinergroup/ |
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| 13.11.24 |
Speaker: Prof Neal Millar, University of Glasgow (SII) Talk Title: Bench to beside via a spinout….is it worth the academic journey? Venue: Yudowitz LT Biog: Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon based at the University of Glasgow, specialising in shoulder surgery and tendon injuries having completed fellowships in Sydney and New York. His laboratory’s research focuses on the immunopathogenesis and translational immunobiology of soft tissue musculoskeletal diseases including tendinopathy. He has been instrumental in leading/designing clinical trials of novel therapies in human tendon disease. He has completed a worldwide Phase II clinical trial of IL-17A blockade in shoulder tendinopathy patients following his laboratory discovery of a key role of IL-17 in tendon disease. Furthermore, his discovery of a single microRNA-dependent regulatory pathway in early tissue healing highlights a microRNA replacement therapy as a promising therapeutic option for human tendon disease currently Phase II human development representing true ‘translational’ science. Additionally, he runs a specialist 'One stop' complex tendon clinic in the NHS focused on improving the treatment of tendinopathy. |
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| 27.11.24 |
Speaker: Dr Briony Yorke, University of Leeds Talk Title: Seeing the light – the role of UV radiation in cataract formation Venue: Hunterian Art Gallery 103LT Biog: As an undergraduate Briony studied Chemistry at the University of Leeds before moving across campus to the Astbury centre for structural molecular biology to complete her PhD which focused on developing methods for time-resolved X-ray crystallography. She then moved to the centre for ultrafast imaging in the department for experimental physics at the University of Hamburg as a Sir Henry Wellcome post-doctoral fellow, helping to implement time-resolved crystallography at the PetraIII synchrotron. She lectured in Biomedical science at the University of Bradford, investigating the molecular basis of UV-induced cataract formation before returning to the University of Leeds to focus on protein photochemistry as a lecturer in physical chemistry. |
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| 29.1.25 CANCELLED |
Speaker: Dr Clarissa Melo Czekster, University of St Andrews Talk title - Mechanism and structure of enzymes producing the smallest and most common cyclic peptides in nature Venue: Hunterian Art Gallery 103LT |
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| 12.2.25 |
Speaker: Prof Julian Dow, University of Glasgow Talk Title: Functional genomics and molecular genetics of insects: model systems for renal function and peptide-based bioinsecticides Venue: Hunterian Art Gallery 103LT https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/molecularbiosciences/staff/juliandow/researchinterests/ |
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| 26.2.25 |
Speaker: Dr Joanna Rorbach, Karolinska institute Talk Title: Regulation of mitochondrial gene expression: from fundamental understanding to the development of new therapies Venue: Hunterian Art Gallery 103LT Bio: Dr Rorbach obtained a PhD degree in mitochondrial genetics from Newcastle University, UK. From 2009-2016 she worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge, investigating the long-unresolved problem of mitochondrial transformation. As a postdoctoral researcher, she also assisted in the development of targeted zinc-finger nuclease technology to selectively remove deleterious mitochondrial mutation and extended her studies on mitochondrial genome. In 2017, she established her research group at the Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing – Karolinska Institute Laboratory in Stockholm. She has extensive experience in investigating molecular mechanisms of mitochondrial gene expression and has been involved in the characterisation of several novel disease-associated genes. Her research employs multidisciplinary approaches, including high-throughput gene targeting, proteomics and cryo-EM methods, to understand molecular pathways involved in mitochondrial pathologies. |
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| 12.3.25 |
Speaker: Prof Jose Gutierrez-Marcos, University of Warwick Talk Title: Integration and Maintenance of Environmental Memories in Plants Venue: Yudowitz LT Biog: Jose earned his BS in Biology and obtained a PhD in Genetics from the University of Leon in Spain. His interest in epigenetics started at the University of Oxford and, in 2008, joined the University of Warwick. There, At Warwick, he leads a multidisciplinary team dedicated to unraveling the epigenetic basis of plasticity in both plants and animals. His work focuses on how environmental factors influence gene expression through epigenetic modifications, paving the way for innovative strategies to enhance stress responses in plants. |
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| 26.3.25 |
Speaker: Dr Francesca Ester Morreale, Francis Crick Institute Talk Title: Enabling targeted protein degradation in bacteria Venue: Yudowitz LT Biog: Ester obtained her PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Messina (Italy). She later joined Prof Walden’s research group at the MRC PPU (Dundee, UK) for a first postdoc, in collaboration with Prof. Alessio Ciulli. She then moved to Vienna (Austria), for a second postdoc in Dr Tim Clausen’s group at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP). In 2023 Ester joined the Francis Crick Institute as a Group Leader. Her research group focuses on establishing targeted protein degradation technology in bacteria. |
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| 23.4.25 |
Speaker: Dr Alex Whitworth, University of Cambridge Talk Title: Parkinson’s disease, mitochondria and calcium: Lessons from Drosophila Venue: Hunterian Art Gallery 103LT Biog: Dr Whitworth has dedicated his research career to understanding the causes of neurodegenerative diseases. He established his research team in 2005 first at the University of Sheffield and then in 2015 moved to the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit at the University of Cambridge. His research team works on understanding the underlying mechanisms of neurodegeneration and identifying potential therapeutic targets, primarily using Drosophila as a powerful genetic in vivo model system. A major focus of the team’s research centres on mechanisms of mitochondrial quality control and degradation through mitophagy. Two genes linked to familial Parkinson’s disease, PINK1 and Parkin, are heavily implicated in regulating mitophagy. Disruption to the proper regulation of mitochondrial quality, through mitophagy and other mechanisms, will impact on the long-term health of the mitochondrial network and ultimately on neuronal survival. The research of Dr Whitworth’s team has recently identified mitochondrial calcium as an important factor in PINK1/Parkin related neurodegeneration and are investigating the intersection with the gut-brain axis. These discoveries will help identify potential therapeutic targets to boost mitochondrial health to maintain neuronal survival. |
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| 7.5.25 |
Speaker: Prof Francois Chaumont, Louvain-la-Neuve Talk Title: Are aquaporins expressed in stomatal complexes promising targets to enhance stomatal dynamics? Venue: Yudowitz LT Biog: After earning a PhD in Agricultural Sciences at UCLouvain (1993), I pursued postdoctoral research as an FNRS fellow, characterizing nuclear-encoded protein import into plant mitochondria. I then joined Prof. Chrispeels’ lab at UC San Diego as an EMBO postdoc, where I began studying plant aquaporins. In 1998, I secured a permanent FNRS Research Associate position at UCLouvain, later becoming a Senior Research Associate (2005) and Full Professor (2011). Since 1998, I have led a research group investigating the function and regulation of plant aquaporins, particularly their roles in water relations and cellular processes. My team contributed to the characterization of maize aquaporins, the discovery of plasma membrane aquaporin hetero-oligomers, and their interactions with SNARE syntaxins, TSPO, and VAP27. We explore aquaporin roles in maize under varying water conditions and study molecular regulators of their expression. Since 2017, I have also been involved in cellular farming projects optimizing glycoprotein expression in Nicotiana tabacum BY-2 cells, focusing on glycosylation control and yield improvement. |
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| 21.5.25 |
Speaker: Prof Heather Knight, University of Durham Talk Title: tbc Venue: Yudowitz LT |
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| 4.6.25 |
Speaker: Prof Marshall Stark, University of Glasgow Talk Title: tbc Venue: Yudowitz LT https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/molecularbiosciences/staff/marshallstark/ |
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| 19.11.25 |
Speaker: Tracy Palmer, University of Newcastle Talk Title: tbc Venue: tbc |