Congratulations to Mirela Delibegovic, who undertook her PhD training in the MRC PPU in Tricia Cohen's laboratory from 1999 to 2003, who has been appointed by the First Minister of Scotland and His Majesty the King to a Regius Chair of Physiology at the University of Aberdeen. This is one of the most prestigious academic appointments in the UK academic system.

We are delighted to announce that Arpan Mehta and Raja Nirujogi, within months of being appointed as Independent Investigators at the MRC PP

We are delighted to announce that Arpan Mehta and Raja Nirujogi, within months of being appointed as Independent Investigators at the MRC PP

Elisha McCrory and Catriona Aitken with Philip Cohen outside the Caird Hall, Dundee after being awarded their PhD degrees at a graduation ceremony by Chancellor of the University of Dundee, Lord Robertson of Port Ellen. Elisha and Catriona are the 50th and 51st students to receive their PhDs under Philip’s supervision.

2024 represents the 20^th anniversary since the first report of autosomal recessive mutations in the PINK1 kinase in Parkinson’s disease by the lab of Nick Wood.

Greg Findlay, Principal Investigator in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC PPU), has been promoted to Reader. Greg’s team aims to understand how dysregulated cell communication causes neurodevelopmental disorders that lead to intellectual disability and other problems.

David Komander becomes our first MRC PPU PhD student to be elected to the Royal Society.

David undertook his PhD studies with Dario Alessi and Daan van Aalten between 2002-2005 characterising the structure, regulation and function of 3-phosphoinositide dependent protein kinase-1 (PDK1).

The Parkinson’s community, including our MRC PPU researchers and people with lived experience of Parkinson’s, gathered at the Royal College of Physicians in Edinburgh to recognise World Parkinson’s Day in April.

Coeliac UK have awarded £250,000 to Dr Mahima Swamy for a 3-year research project that they believe will take us further along the ‘Journey to a Cure’ for coeliac disease.

We are delighted to announce that Gopal Sapkota has received the prestigious Biochemical Society 2025 Industry and Academic Collaboration Award.