Chinenye Okonkwo
Chinenye Okonkwo
Email: c1002020@hallam.shu.ac.uk
Research Centre: BMRC
PhD Thesis Title: The proteomic response of alpha-synuclein amyloids in Parkinson’s disease
Director of Studies: Prof. David Smith
Supervisors: Dr Susan Campbell, Dr Caroline Dalton
RESEARCH
Synucleopathies are a group of diseases characterized by the aggregation of alpha-synuclein. Parkinson’s disease, a predominant type of synucleinopathy, affects 137,000 people in the UK and 10 million worldwide, making it the second most common neurodegenerative disorder. It is marked by alpha-synuclein aggregation in the substantia nigra, leading to symptoms such as slow movement, tremors, muscle stiffness, and dementia due to the loss of dopaminergic neurons.
Alpha-synuclein aggregation is a hallmark of Parkinson’s disease. In its native state, alpha-synuclein is an intrinsically disordered protein involved in synaptic transmission. However, its aggregated forms, including oligomers and protofibrils, are known to contribute to neurotoxicity in Parkinson’s disease through mechanisms such as membrane disruption, oxidative stress, poor protein clearance, and ferroptosis.
The diverse mechanisms associated with alpha-synuclein-modulated toxicity prompted us to investigate its proteomic interactions within neuronal cells using various techniques, including Nano-Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry, 3D Cell Culture, Confocal Microscopy, Recombinant Protein Expression, and Protein Chemistry.
Our goal is to understand the underlying processes and potentially identify therapeutic targets. My research interest is in the development of therapeutic drugs.
