Dr. Jillian Madine

I obtained a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Manchester Institute for Science and technology (UMIST). I then completed a PhD at the University of Manchester studying the mechanism of alpha-synuclein aggregation in Lewy body disease. Following this I was awarded an Alzheimer's Research UK Fellowship to investigate structure-based design of modified peptides for the inhibition of α-synuclein aggregation and moved to the University of Liverpool in 2006. Following this I worked predominantly on a project investigating the structural modulation of a-beta fibrils and intermediates by glycosaminoglycans, along with several projects investigating the structure of peptide-nanotubes as potential biomaterials. I was awarded a British Heart Foundation Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellow investigating amyloid deposition in the cardiovascular system. During this Fellowship I co-established the multidisciplinary Liverpool Aortic Biomechanics and Biochemistry Research group (http://labb-group.com/) working on understanding underlying mechanisms in aortic conditions in collaboration with Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital. In addition to this area of research my research group is currently investigating the role and inhibition of amyloid protein aggregation in systemic, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.