Heather Mortiboys, PhD profile page

Prof. Heather Mortiboys leads research at the University of Sheffield's Mortiboys Lab, focusing on the cellular mechanisms underlying Parkinson's. Her work delves into mitochondrial dysfunction and its role in neurodegeneration, aiming to identify novel therapeutic targets to slow or halt progression. Heather's driving force is improving patient lives, evident in her work repurposing compounds and developing robust testing technologies. This led to the discovery of UDCA's positive effects, now in clinical trials. Passionate about science communication, Heather actively engages with the public and advocates for those affected by neurological disorders. She prioritizes patient perspectives through PPI events and focus groups, shaping research for greater impact. This dedication spurred the development of Mitotypes Precision Labs, utilising her unique disease models and high-throughput techniques to accelerate drug discovery. This will enable pharmaceutical companies to identify lead compounds and advance to clinical trials more rapidly.