
Dr Claire Durrant
Name:
Dr Claire Durrant
Job Title:
Race Against Dementia Dyson Fellow
Place of work / study:
Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh
Area of Research:
Organotypic slice culture models of Alzheimer’s disease. My main interest is in understanding mechanisms of synapse loss and exploring ways to prevent this happening.
How is your work funded:
A 5 year Race Against Dementia Fellowship
Tell us a little about yourself:
Having done my undergrad, PhD and postdoc at the University of Cambridge, I made the move up to Scotland in 2019 to start my RAD fellowship. This fellowship has given me a unique opportunity to kick-start my independent career, working with some incredible dementia researchers and learning from some of the best minds in Formula One and industry. I live in the Edinburgh countryside with my husband and two very fluffy (and spoilt!) cats. When I am not in the lab, I love to travel, hike and spend as much time as I can out in nature.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I have a twin brother who is also a scientist (although he works on solar panels, which are not as cool as brains!).
Why did you choose to work in dementia:
In my opinion, dementia is one of the biggest health challenges facing modern society. I have seen, in my own family, how it can impact both the person living with it, and the people who care deeply about them. I would love to see a world where a dementia can be prevented, halted or even reversed.