Dr Paul Skehel

Paul Skehel’s research interest is the molecular and cellular biology of the nervous system with particular interest in degenerative diseases.  Current work focuses on animal and cell culture models of inherited forms of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS (inherited and not) is the most common form of MND.  This approach aims to understand the finest details of how ALS destroys cells, in the hope that such information may help in the rational development of successful therapies in the future.

Paul studied Biochemistry as an undergraduate at University College London, before doing his post graduate studies in developmental biology at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund (now Cancer UK), PhD awarded by Imperial College London.  He then did post-doctoral work at Columbia University, New York, at the Centre for Neurobiology and Behaviour in Eric Kandel’s laboratory, and at the National Institute for Medical Research, London, in the laboratory of Tim Bliss. He joined the University of Edinburgh in 2001.