Prof Thomas Gillingwater


BSc, MBA, PhD, MCMI, FRMS
Professor of Neuroanatomy
University of Edinburgh
Centre for Integrative Physiology & Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Resarch
Old Medical School, Teviot Place, Edinburgh, EH8 9XD

Telephone: 44 (0) 131 650 3724
Email: T.Gillingwater@ed.ac.uk

Click for a 1-page printable CV

Biographical Profile

Professor of Neuroanatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh (2010)
Senior Lecturer in Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh (2008)
Lecturer in Anatomy, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh (2004)
MBA, University of Edinburgh (2006)
PhD in Neuroscience, University of Edinburgh (2001)
BSc (Hons) in Human Biology, University of Leeds

Teaching Responsibilities:  Human Anatomy / Neuroanatomy (MBChB) and Course Director for Anatomy & Pathology 2 (BSc Medical Sciences)
Receiving Editor - Journal of Anatomy (2008- )

Research Overview

Recent advances in neurobiological research have demonstrated that axonal and synaptic compartments of neurons are capable of independently regulating their own development, stabilization and degeneration.   These findings have significant implications for many neurodegenerative diseases including motor neuron disease, Batten disease and Alzheimer’s disease where axons and synapses are now regarded as primary pathological targets.

Our research aims to identify the incidence and importance of axon/synapse-specific regulation of neuronal form and function in the developing, normal and degenerating nervous system.   We combine quantitative imaging (confocal and electron microscopy) and molecular biology techniques to study the structure and function of axons and synapses from the central and peripheral nervous systems, both in vivo and in vitro. 

At present the lab is concentrating on two main research areas.   First, we are examining the cellular and molecular pathways that regulate synaptic and axonal vulnerability in several mouse models of motor neuron disease (including Spinal Muscular Atrophy [SMA] and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis [ALS]) and Batten disease.   And second, we are attempting to identify novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases in humans with axonal and/or synaptic involvement.   In particular, we are investigating the mechanism of action, and therapeutic value, of a spontaneous, neuroprotective genetic mutation known as Wallerian Degeneration-Slow (Wlds).

Other Members in the Group

Thomas Wishart      
Lyndsay Murray      
Laura Comley      
Ann Wright      
Derek Thomson  
Jack Pai-Wei Huang
Chantal Mutsaers  

Collaborators

S. Abrahams: University of Edinburgh
A. Aitken: University of Edinburgh
J. Cooper: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London
M. Dutia: University of Edinburgh
M. Freeman: University of Massachusetts
K. Horsburgh: University of Edinburgh
C. Ingham: University of Edinburgh
P. Kind: University of Edinburgh
C. McCabe: University of Birmingham
S. Parson: University of Edinburgh
R. Ribchester: University of Edinburgh
P. Skehel: University of Edinburgh
K. Talbot: University of Oxford
J. Tynela: University of Helsinki
M. Walkinshaw: University of Edinburgh

Grants

BBSRC
SHERT
Anatomical Society of Great Britain and Ireland
Batten Disease Support & Research Association (BDSRA)
Tenovus Scotland
BDF Newlife
Wellcome Trust
Sylvia Aitken Charitable Trust
SMA Trust

Select Recent Publications

Murray, L.M., Lee, S., Baumer, D., Parson, S.H., Talbot, K. & Gillingwater, T.H. (2010) Pre-symptomatic development of lower motor neuron connectivity in a mouse model of severe spinal muscular atrophy. Human Molecular Genetics 19: 420-433.

Bäumer, D., Lee, S., Nicholson, G., Davies, J.L., Parkinson, N.J., Murray, L.M., Gillingwater, T.H., Ansorge, O., Davies, K.E. & Talbot, K. (2009) Alternative splicing events are a late feature of pathology in a mouse model of spinal muscular atrophy. PLoS Genetics 5: e1000773.

Murray, L.M., Comley, L.H., Thomson, D., Parkinson, N., Talbot, K. & Gillingwater, T.H. (2008) Selective vulnerability of motor neurons and dissociation of pre- and post-synaptic pathology at the neuromuscular junction in mouse models of spinal muscular atrophy. Human Molecular Genetics 17: 949-962.

Wishart, T.M., Paterson, J.M., Short, D.M., Meredith, S., Robertson, K.A., Sutherland, C., Cousin, M.A., Dutia, M.B. & Gillingwater, T.H. (2007) Differential proteomics analysis of synaptic proteins identifies potential cellular targets and protein mediators of synaptic neuroprotection conferred by the slow Wallerian degeneration (Wlds) gene. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics 6: 1318-1330.

Gillingwater, T.H., Ingham, C.A., Parry, K.E., Wright, A.K., Haley, J.E., Wishart, T.M., Arbuthnott, G.W. & Ribchester, R.R. (2006) Delayed synaptic degeneration in the CNS of Wlds mice after cortical lesion. Brain 129: 1546-1556.

Nishimura, A.L., Mitne-Neto, M., Silva, H.C.A., Richieri-Costa, A., Middleton, S., Cascio, D., Kok, F., Oliveira, J.R.M., Gillingwater, T., Webb, J., Skehel, P. & Zatz, M. (2004) A mutation in the vesicle trafficking protein VAP-B causes late onset spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. American Journal of Human Genetics 75: 822-831.

Key Earlier Publications

Kielar, C., Wishart, T.M., Palmer, A., Dihanich, S., Wong, A.M., Macauley, S.L., Chun, C-H., Sands, M.S., Pearce, D., Cooper, J.D. & Gillingwater, T.H. (2009) Molecular correlates of axonal and synaptic pathology in mouse models of Batten disease. Human Molecular Genetics 18: 4066-4080.

Court, F.A., Gillingwater, T.H., Melrose, S., Sherman, D.L., Greenshields, K., Harris, J.B., Morton, A.J., Willison, H.J. & Ribchester, R.R. (2008) Identity, developmental restriction and reactivity of extralaminar cells capping mammalian neuromuscular junctions. Journal of Cell Science 121: 3901-3911.

Wishart, T.M., Pemberton, H.N., James, S.R., McCabe, C.J. & Gillingwater, T.H. (2008) Modified cell cycle status in a mouse model of altered neuronal vulnerability (Wallerian Degeneration Slow; Wlds). Genome Biology 9(6): R101.

Gkogkas, C., Middleton, S., Kremer, A.M., Wardrope, C., Hannah, M., Gillingwater, T.H. & Skehel, P.A. (2008) VAPB interacts with and modulates the activity of ATF6. Human Molecular Genetics 17: 1517-1526.

Gillingwater, T.H., Wishart, T.M., Chen, P.E., Haley, J.E., Robertson, K., MacDonald, S.H-F., Middleton, S., Wawrowsky, K., Shipston, M.J., Melmed, S., Wyllie, D.J.A., Skehel, P.A., Coleman, M.P. & Ribchester, R.R. (2006) The neuroprotective Wlds gene regulates expression of PTTG1 and Erythroid Differention Regulator 1-Like gene in mice and human cells. Human Molecular Genetics 15: 625-635.

Mack. T.G.A., Reiner, M., Beirowski, B., Mi, W., Emanuelli, M., Wagner, D., Thomson, D., Gillingwater, T., Court, F., Conforti, L., Shama Fernando, F., Tarlton, A., Andressen, C., Addicks, K., Magni, G., Ribchester, R.R., Perry, V.H. & Coleman, M.P. (2001) Wallerian degeneration of injured axons and synapses is delayed by a Ube4b/Nmnat chimeric gene. Nature Neuroscience 4: 1199-1206.


A full list of publications is available here.