Timothy specialises in assessing metabolic dysfunction in iPSC-derived models of Motor Neuron Disease
Motor Neuron Disease (MND) is a fatal neurological condition in which the average life expectancy is only 27 months after diagnosis. The progressive degeneration of neurons in the central nervous system leads to paralysis and eventually, death. Understanding what causes these neurons to degenerate, therefore, is essential. Evidence has come to light suggesting that a patient's metabolism, particularly their ability to use glucose, is significantly impaired throughout disease progression. What is not completely understood, however, is how these metabolic deficits may present themselves in individual tissues. Tim's research focuses on studying iPSC-derived motor neurons, in an effort to understand how MND affects these cells metabolically, and whether this may lead to neuronal degeneration. Using the knowledge gained from these studies, Tim aims to undertake pre-clinical testing of a number of potential therapeutic compounds.
Graduated from the University of Queensland in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Biomedical Science (Honours I). Honours was undertaken with A/Prof Peter Noakes and Prof Ernst Wolvetang, working towards developing an in vitro model of the human neuromuscular junction. In 2020, a PhD was completed with A/Prof Shyuan Ngo and Prof Ernst Wolvetang, studying the metabolic deficits observed in human iPSC-derived models of MND.
