Professor Alun Davies FRS
Professor Alun Davies FRS is one of the world’s foremost developmental neurobiologists whose research over the past 25 years has transformed our understanding of how neurotrophic factors regulate key aspects of nerve cell development.
He is responsible for many major discoveries and fundamental concepts in the field. His research team in the School of Biosciences, which is supported by £2M in external grants, investigates the extracellular signals, signal transduction mechanisms and genetic programmes that regulate the survival of nerve cells and the growth and elaboration of axons and dendrites.
The work focuses mostly on sensory and sympathetic neurons of the developing peripheral nervous system and central pyramidal neurons. He also coordinates a European consortium investigating the generation, survival and maturation of dopaminergic neurons, which has potential implications for the development of novel therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease.