I lead the Chris Miller lab, where our research aims to better understad the molecular mechanisms that underlie neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative diseases. Our major focus is Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), specifcally in relation to how defects in signal transduction contribute to the neurodegenerative process. We have identified a mechanism that underpins endoplasmic reticulum mitochondrial signaling and showed that it is damaged in some forms of dementia, Parkinson’s disease and ALS, and are currently investigating this further as well as therapeutic routes for correcting this type of neuronal damage.

Please see my Research Staff Profile for more detail

Key publications:

• Stoica et al., 2014. ER-mitochondria associations are regulated by the VAPB-PTPIP51 interaction and are disrupted by ALS/FTD-associated TDP-43. Nat Communications.
• Gomez-Suaga et al., 2017. The ER-Mitochondria Tethering Complex VAPB-PTPIP51 Regulates Autophagy. Current Biology.
• Paillusson et al. 2017. α-Synuclein binds to the ER-mitochondria tethering protein VAPB to disrupt Ca²⁺ homeostasis and mitochondrial ATP production. Acta Neuropathology.

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Key collaborators:

• Dr Wendy Noble, King's College London
• Professor Christopher Shaw, King's College London