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Profile – Dr Jack Rivers-Auty

Name:

Dr Jack Rivers-Auty

Job Title:

Research Fellow

Place of work / study:

University of Manchester

Area of Research:

Neuroinflammation

How is your research funded:

BBSRC discovery fellowship

Tell us a little about yourself:

I completed his undergraduate degree in neuroscience and my PhD on cannabinoids and stroke at the southernmost university in the world – the University of Otago, New Zealand. My research has primarily focused on the regulation of inflammation in the brain and my latest research has been investigating the inflammasome, a massive protein complex which regulates the secretion of inflammation signalling molecules. Working as a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Manchester, under the excellent supervision of Dr. Catherine Lawrence and Dr. David Brough, I have found that inhibiting the inflammasome is a promising therapeutic target for neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease. This research involved screening existing drugs in vitro for NLRP3 inhibitory properties and then translating the most active compound to animal models of Alzheimer’s disease where it was found to improve memory and reduce neuroinflammation. Now I am investigating the role of NLRP3 activation in age related cognitive decline.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself:

My Batting average is a little over 11 this season.

Why did you choose to work in dementia:

I think this question reveals one of the traps which early career researchers fall into. Around 1 in 6 early career researchers make it to a permanent position. In that situation is very difficult to be picky about the direction of your research career. The key is to love science, love exploring the unknown, love discovery; then apply that passion and drive in the opportunities available. I’ve worked in stroke, sepsis, neonatal asphyxia, Alzheimer’s disease, Frontal temporal dementia, protein evolution, and pollution. They’ve all been fascinating and hopefully in some small way helped.

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