Dr András Lakatos
Dr András Lakatos
Developmental and pathological aspects of astrocyte-neuron interactions
Email: al291@cam.ac.uk
Departmental Affiliation: Cambridge Neuroscience
Biography
Having obtained his degree in medicine, András Lakatos carried out his PhD studies in glial cell biology in the Beatson Institute and at Cambridge followed by two years of postdoctoral research in neuroregeneration. He then completed basic specialty training in general medicine and higher specialist training in neurology at the Cambridge University Hospitals. During his clinical training he held a clinical lectureship in medicine and later a Walker fellowship in neurosciences between 2010-2013, helping to kick-start his independent research group. He was awarded the MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship in 2017, and is leading a regenerative neurobiology laboratory at the University of Cambridge while practicing clinical neurology as academic Consultant in Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Research
Glial cells, such as astrocytes emerge as central players in the regulation of normal neuronal network development, function and also in its disruption in neurodegenerative diseases. Astrocyte responses to neuronal signals can be beneficial or detrimental to neuronal recovery, but the mechanisms that regulate these responses remain elusive. A detailed understanding of these fundamental processes may also provide alternative neuroprotective therapeutic targets for a range of neurodegenerative disorders. We use mouse and human stem cell based disease model systems combined with cell-type specific transcriptomics and computational approaches to mechanistically explore astrocyte-neuron interactions in health and in models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). We also run collaborative projects with groups in the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC LMB), Wellcome Trust-MRC Cambridge Stem Cell Institute and European Bioinformatics Institute at Cambridge.