Senior Affiliated Scientists (SAS)

The Babraham Institute enables Group Leaders to continue their research in a part-time capacity during the decade of retirement. The Senior Affiliated Scientists (SAS) scheme offers the opportunity to work less than 50% time to bring projects already instigated to a successful conclusion and is usually for a period of up to two years.

John Bicknell (Currently Institute Assistant Director for Research Management matters)

John Bicknell is a developmental neuroendocrinologist and his group is using transgenic mouse models to identify the molecular signals controlling migration of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons from the embryonic nose to the brain. GnRH neurons control reproductive hormone output and originate in the olfactory system of the embryo before migrating along olfactory axon projections into the brain; a developmental mechanism that is conserved in evolution, including humans. Further information

Marianne Brüggemann

Marianne Brüggemann has joined BBT Ltd on secondment to pursue translational development of new technologies for monoclonal antibody production.

The discovery that diverse heavy-chain-only antibodies can be expressed in the mouse has identified a new type of antigen recognition (J Exp Med 204: 3271-3283, 2007). Patents secure the findings and the aim of the technology is to produce novel therapeutic reagents which readily interact with moieties not recognised by conventional antibodies. Further information

Piers Emson

Identifying the causes and mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative changes in normal ageing and in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease is the focus of my research. These are both neurodegenerative diseases which, in their sporadic forms typically occur in old age, in general after 50 years, and with increasing incidence beyond this decade. Both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease are characterised by intra-neuronal accumulation of proteins, which may contribute to, or cause the specific cell death characteristic of these conditions.

The aim of this work is to identify genes that have a contributory role to these conditions and which may ultimately represent novel targets for therapeutic intervention. Most recently we have been localising a novel kinase, the leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 gene which is an important and unambiguous cause of late-onset Parkinson’s disease. This kinase is of particular interest as mutations in this gene give rise to a variety of protein inclusions suggesting this kinase is central to pathogenic pathways in the brain. Further information

Mike Taussig

Mike Taussig is pursuing translational activities within Babraham Bioscience Technologies Ltd. (BBT)
Further information