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Dr Teresa Pinheiro

Job Title
Associate Professor
Department
Life Sciences
Phone
+44 2476528364
Web Link
Research Interests

An increasing number of diseases are associated with misfolding of proteins , which can lead to the acummulation in vital organs of amorphous protein aggregates or ordered amyloid fibrils. These diseases include conditions such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's, Parkinson's and transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). TSEs, such as mad cow disease in cattle, scrapie in sheep, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD), Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker disease (GSS) and fatal familial insomnia (FFI) in humans, are associated with the conversion of a cellular plasma membrane glycoprotein, the prion protein , to an altered form that is suggested to be both the infectious agent and the cause of rapid neurodegeneration . Structural studies have established that prion conversion from the cellular healthy conformation to the disease-associated form involves a major refolding of the prion protein that results in amorphous aggregates or ordered amyloid fibrils.

In my research group we are interested in understanding the molecular mechanism of prion conversion, studying the folding and structure of prions both in solution and in association with lipid membranes , the aggregation and fibrillization of prions, and the mechanisms of neurodegeneration and neuronal death.

Research Themes: Molecular and Cell Systems

Biography

DPhil Oxford University 1993

Title Funder Award start Award end
Selection of nucleic acid aptamers against defined oligomeric states of PrP and -synuclein. University of Sheffield 01 Aug 2012 31 Mar 2013
PCB Network (via Leeds) Smart nanoparticle sensors for detection & quantitation of prions and amyloid components EPSRC 14 Feb 2012 30 Apr 2012
Developing of a Microsecond Mixing Instrument for the Detection of Folding intermediates - Precursors of Amyloid Formation in Neurodegeneration EPSRC 01 Sep 2008 31 Aug 2011
CASE Agreement: Richard Cowan: Folding of Protein Kinases AstraZeneca 01 Oct 2005 30 Sep 2009
A Conformational Biosensor for Diagnosis of Prion Diseases. BBSRC 15 May 2006 14 May 2007
Structure, Stability & Molecular Interactions In Biological Systems BBSRC 01 Sep 2005 31 May 2006
Assisted protein folding: membrane protein translocation and assembly: Research Fship Royal Society 01 Oct 1995 30 Sep 2003
Assisted protein folding: membrane protein translocation and assembly: Research Fship Royal Society 01 Oct 1995 30 Sep 2003