Professor Dame Pamela Shaw

Research interests

Professor Shaw and her team use robust cellular and in vivo models of neurodegeneration and correlate key findings with disease related changes in the human nervous system.

Her significant research achievements include:

1. Identification of cell specific features of motor neurons which underlie susceptibility to neurodegeneration.

2. Understanding the cellular pathways of motor neuron injury in the presence of mutant SOD1 using a combination of cell biology, proteomics and gene expression profiling.

3. Identifying the different subtypes of motor neuron disease (MND) based on genetics and molecular pathology.

4. Development of new small molecule and gene therapy candidate treatments for patients using staged screening programmes in cellular and other experimental model systems.

5. Promoting the introduction of one neuroprotective drug for MND into clinical practice – riluzole.

6. Establishing the role of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in improving the quality of life and prolonging survival of MND patients