Rahel Gresz, a 3rd year medical student from the University of Dundee, and Tania Savant, a 4th year neuroscience from the University of St. Andrews, spend their summer working on projects related to Parkinson's disease in the Alessi and Sammler labs. Tania looked at the impact of disease-associated genetic changes in Rab12 on the LRRK2 signalling pathway: Rab12 has been implicated in causing familial focal dystonia and is at the same time a downstream target of the Parkinson's associated LRRK2 kinase. Rahel used gene-editing technologies to knock-out genes implicated in the LRRK2 signalling network, thereby creating valuable tools to further our progress into understanding Parkinson's disease on a molecular level.

Both studentships were 'funded' by the Dundee Research Interest group (DRIG) - individuals within DRIG have been fundraising for research into Parkinson's, which will be carried out in the MRC PPU. Because the fundraisers have no scientific skills to evaluate research proposals, they ask the MRC PPU to recommend alternatives to spend this money on research in Dundee, and the DRIG then choose their preferred option. Tania and Rahel were given the opportunity to present their work in front of the DRIG committee members. For both, the experience in the lab and interaction with DRIG has been invaluable and may have sparked an interest in becoming the next generation Parkinson's clinician scientists.