Professor Tara Spires-Jones FRSE

Professor of Neurodegeneration, University of Edinburgh

Tara Spires-Jones, DPhil(Oxon), FMedSci, FRSE is Professor of Neurodegeneration at the University of Edinburgh and Past President of the British Neuroscience Association. Her research focuses on the brain changes that cause Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. She discovered that synapses, the connections between neurons, are damaged by pathological proteins that accumulate in the brains of people with dementias, and that pathology spreads through the brain by jumping through synapses. In addition to research, Prof Spires-Jones is passionate about communicating science to the public; increasing the rigour and reproducibility in neuroscience; promoting inclusivity in science; and supporting career development of neuroscientists.

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