Rachel Belt (13:00 – 13:30)
Title: Improved digital research methods to address health equity for populations of concern
Abstract: TBC

Nancy Liang (13:30 – 14:00)
Title: Modelling the role of mitophagy in the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s and Mitochondrial disease
Abstract: Mitophagy is a selective form of autophagy in which damaged mitochondrion or mitochondrial fragments are engulfed by an autophagosome, which then fuses with the lysosome for degradation and recycling. Mutations in PARK2 (Parkin) are linked to early onset familial Parkinson’s disease, but the precise role of Parkin in PINK1/Parkin mediated mitophagy remains unclear. To date, dysregulated mitophagy has not previously been demonstrated in primary fibroblasts from patients with compound heterozygous Parkin mutations. Meanwhile, mutations in POLG, a gene encoding the catalytic subunit of the mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma, are the most common cause of recessively inherited mitochondrial diseases. Understanding mitophagy in these diseases can provide insights into underlying pathological mechanisms, and potentially guide the development of targeted therapies.