Biometals in Brain Health and DiseaseOur research objectives are to understand the molecular and cellular pathogenesis that underlies neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease, motor neuron disease and childhood neurodegeneration (Batten disease). Our primary focus is on the role of abnormal biometal metabolism in the brain as a major factor in these disorders. From this research, we have developed novel approaches to the treatment of neurodegeneration involving the delivery of metal-complexes to the CNS to restore biometal homeostasis. The exact neuroprotective processes are still being investigated and we are developing new high-resolution bioimaging techniques to understand how metal-complexes alter biometal trafficking and action at the sub-cellular and molecular level.Key Research Areas:Co-inventor of Cu-atsm as a potential therapeutic treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Understanding the role of biometals (copper, zinc, iron) in brain diseases.Development of neuroprotective metal-based drugs.Metals and neuroinflammation (microglia and astrocytes).Advanced bioimaging techniques.Role of hnRNPs in neurodegeneration.Development of Alzheimer's disease 3D brain-on-a-chip.Neural stem cell models of brain disease.Associate Editor: Neurochemistry International (Elsevier)Editorial Board Member: Neurochemical Research (Springer)Editorial Board Member: Neurochemistry International (Elsevier)Editorial Board Member: Biometals (Springer)Academic Editor: PLoS ONE. (Public Library of Science)Associate and Managing Editor: Inter. J. Biomedical Nanosci. and Nanotech. (Inderscience Publishers)Editorial Board Member: Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery (Bentham)