![Natalie Connor-Robson](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/660?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Natalie Connor-Robson
Research Fellow, Dementia Research Institute
- Connor-robsonNL@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 29225 12293
- Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
Understanding the molecular mechanisms of Alzheimer's Disease
Alzheimer’s disease has huge personal and economic costs and as yet there are no effective treatments. It is important to understand the earliest pathogenic mechanisms that occur on a cellular level in order to design better treatment options. My research focuses on the role of the endocytic pathway in neurodegeneration and on understanding how common genetic changes alter cellular function in sporadic Alzheimer's Disease. I use iPSC-derived neurons and microglia to study this.
Research Goals
- Study the role of endocytic dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases
- Identify pathogenic cellular mechanisms caused by polygenic risk in Alzheimer's Disease
- Investigate potential new therapeutic strategies
Publication
2024
- Maninger, J., Nowak, K., Goberdhan, S., O'Donoghue, R. and Connor-Robson, N. 2024. Cell type-specific functions of Alzheimer's disease endocytic risk genes. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 379(1899), article number: 20220378. (10.1098/rstb.2022.0378)
2023
- Williamson, M. G. et al. 2023. Mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy defects in LRRK2-R1441C Parkinson's disease models. Human Molecular Genetics 32(18), pp. 2808-2821. (10.1093/hmg/ddad102)
2022
- Maguire, E., Connor-Robson, N., Shaw, B., O’Donoghue, R., Stöberl, N. and Hall-Roberts, H. 2022. Assaying microglia functions in vitro. Cells 11(21), article number: 3414. (10.3390/cells11213414)
2021
- Ninkina, N. et al. 2021. β-synuclein potentiates synaptic vesicle dopamine uptake and rescues dopaminergic neurons from MPTP-induced death in the absence of other synucleins. Journal of Biological Chemistry 297(6), article number: 101375. (10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101375)
- Threlfell, S. et al. 2021. Striatal dopamine transporter function is facilitated by converging biology of α-synuclein and cholesterol. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 15, article number: 658244. (10.3389/fncel.2021.658244)
2020
- Roberts, B. M. et al. 2020. GABA uptake transporters support dopamine release in dorsal striatum with maladaptive downregulation in a parkinsonism model. Nature Communications 11(1), article number: 4958. (10.1038/s41467-020-18247-5)
- Bengoa-Vergniory, N. et al. 2020. CLR01 protects dopaminergic neurons in vitro and in mouse models of Parkinson's disease. Nature Communications 11(1), article number: 4885. (10.1038/s41467-020-18689-x)
- Madureira, M., Connor-Robson, N. and Wade-Martins, R. 2020. LRRK2: Autophagy and Lysosomal Activity. Frontiers in Neuroscience 14, article number: 498. (10.3389/fnins.2020.00498)
- Simanaviciute, U. et al. 2020. Recommendations for measuring whisker movements and locomotion in mice with sensory, motor and cognitive deficits. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 331, article number: 108532. (10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108532)
2019
- Booth, H. D. et al. 2019. RNA sequencing reveals MMP2 and TGFB1 downregulation in LRRK2 G2019S Parkinson's iPSC-derived astrocytes. Neurobiology of Disease 129, pp. 56-66. (10.1016/j.nbd.2019.05.006)
- Wallings, R., Connor-Robson, N. and Wade-Martins, R. 2019. LRRK2 interacts with the vacuolar-type H+-ATPase pump a1 subunit to regulate lysosomal function. Human Molecular Genetics 28(16), pp. 2696–2710. (10.1093/hmg/ddz088)
- Connor-Robson, N. et al. 2019. An integrated transcriptomics and proteomics analysis reveals functional endocytic dysregulation caused by mutations in LRRK2. Neurobiology of Disease 127, pp. 512-526. (10.1016/j.nbd.2019.04.005)
2018
- Vingill, S., Connor-Robson, N. and Wade-Martins, R. 2018. Are rodent models of Parkinson's disease behaving as they should?. Behavioural Brain Research 352, pp. 133-141. (10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.021)
2016
- Connor-Robson, N., Peters, O., Millership, S., Ninkina, N. and Buchman, V. L. 2016. Combinational losses of synucleins reveal their differential requirements for compensating age-dependent alterations in motor behavior and dopamine metabolism. Neurobiology of Aging 46, pp. 107-112. (10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.06.020)
- Telezhkin, V. et al. 2016. Forced cell-cycle exit and modulation of GABAA, CREB and GSK3β signaling promote functional maturation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, article number: ajpcell.00166.2015. (10.1152/ajpcell.00166.2015)
- Sloan, M. et al. 2016. LRRK2 BAC transgenic rats develop progressive, L-DOPA-responsive motor impairment, and deficits in dopamine circuit function. Human Molecular Genetics 25(5), pp. 951-963. (10.1093/hmg/ddv628)
2015
- Ninkina, N., Connor-Robson, N., Ustyugov, A. A., Tarasova, T., Shelkovnikova, T. and Buchman, V. L. 2015. A novel resource for studying function and dysfunction of α-synuclein: mouse lines for modulation of endogenous Snca gene expression. Scientific Reports 5, article number: 16615. (10.1038/srep16615)
2013
- Cooper-Knock, J. et al. 2013. C9ORF72 transcription in a frontotemporal dementia case with two expanded alleles. Neurology 81(19), pp. 1719-1721. (10.1212/01.wnl.0000435295.41974.2e)
- Shelkovnikova, T., Robinson, H., Connor-Robson, N. and Buchman, V. L. 2013. Recruitment into stress granules prevents irreversible aggregation of FUS protein mislocalized to the cytoplasm. Cell Cycle 12(19), pp. 3194-3202. (10.4161/cc.26241)
- Shelkovnikova, T. et al. 2013. Fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein lacking nuclear localization signal (NLS) and major RNA binding motifs triggers proteinopathy and severe motor phenotype in transgenic mice. Journal of Biological Chemistry 288(35), pp. 25266-25274. (10.1074/jbc.M113.492017)
- Peters, O. M. et al. 2013. Chronic administration of dimebon ameliorates pathology in Tau P301S transgenic mice. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 33(4), pp. 1041-1049. (10.3233/JAD-2012-121732)
- Connor-Robson, N. 2013. Synucleins in the midbrain dopaminergic system: the role in health and disease. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2012
- Ninkina, N., Peters, O. M., Connor-Robson, N., Lytkina, O., Sharfeddin, E. and Buchman, V. L. 2012. Contrasting effects of α-Synuclein and γ-Synuclein on the phenotype of cysteine string protein α (CSPα) null mutant mice suggest distinct function of these proteins in neuronal synapses. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287(53), pp. 44471-44477. (10.1074/jbc.M112.422402)
2011
- Anwar, S. et al. 2011. Functional alterations to the nigrostriatal system in mice lacking all three members of the synuclein family. Journal of Neuroscience 31(20), pp. 7264-7274. (10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6194-10.2011)
Articles
- Maninger, J., Nowak, K., Goberdhan, S., O'Donoghue, R. and Connor-Robson, N. 2024. Cell type-specific functions of Alzheimer's disease endocytic risk genes. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 379(1899), article number: 20220378. (10.1098/rstb.2022.0378)
- Williamson, M. G. et al. 2023. Mitochondrial dysfunction and mitophagy defects in LRRK2-R1441C Parkinson's disease models. Human Molecular Genetics 32(18), pp. 2808-2821. (10.1093/hmg/ddad102)
- Maguire, E., Connor-Robson, N., Shaw, B., O’Donoghue, R., Stöberl, N. and Hall-Roberts, H. 2022. Assaying microglia functions in vitro. Cells 11(21), article number: 3414. (10.3390/cells11213414)
- Ninkina, N. et al. 2021. β-synuclein potentiates synaptic vesicle dopamine uptake and rescues dopaminergic neurons from MPTP-induced death in the absence of other synucleins. Journal of Biological Chemistry 297(6), article number: 101375. (10.1016/j.jbc.2021.101375)
- Threlfell, S. et al. 2021. Striatal dopamine transporter function is facilitated by converging biology of α-synuclein and cholesterol. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience 15, article number: 658244. (10.3389/fncel.2021.658244)
- Roberts, B. M. et al. 2020. GABA uptake transporters support dopamine release in dorsal striatum with maladaptive downregulation in a parkinsonism model. Nature Communications 11(1), article number: 4958. (10.1038/s41467-020-18247-5)
- Bengoa-Vergniory, N. et al. 2020. CLR01 protects dopaminergic neurons in vitro and in mouse models of Parkinson's disease. Nature Communications 11(1), article number: 4885. (10.1038/s41467-020-18689-x)
- Madureira, M., Connor-Robson, N. and Wade-Martins, R. 2020. LRRK2: Autophagy and Lysosomal Activity. Frontiers in Neuroscience 14, article number: 498. (10.3389/fnins.2020.00498)
- Simanaviciute, U. et al. 2020. Recommendations for measuring whisker movements and locomotion in mice with sensory, motor and cognitive deficits. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 331, article number: 108532. (10.1016/j.jneumeth.2019.108532)
- Booth, H. D. et al. 2019. RNA sequencing reveals MMP2 and TGFB1 downregulation in LRRK2 G2019S Parkinson's iPSC-derived astrocytes. Neurobiology of Disease 129, pp. 56-66. (10.1016/j.nbd.2019.05.006)
- Wallings, R., Connor-Robson, N. and Wade-Martins, R. 2019. LRRK2 interacts with the vacuolar-type H+-ATPase pump a1 subunit to regulate lysosomal function. Human Molecular Genetics 28(16), pp. 2696–2710. (10.1093/hmg/ddz088)
- Connor-Robson, N. et al. 2019. An integrated transcriptomics and proteomics analysis reveals functional endocytic dysregulation caused by mutations in LRRK2. Neurobiology of Disease 127, pp. 512-526. (10.1016/j.nbd.2019.04.005)
- Vingill, S., Connor-Robson, N. and Wade-Martins, R. 2018. Are rodent models of Parkinson's disease behaving as they should?. Behavioural Brain Research 352, pp. 133-141. (10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.021)
- Connor-Robson, N., Peters, O., Millership, S., Ninkina, N. and Buchman, V. L. 2016. Combinational losses of synucleins reveal their differential requirements for compensating age-dependent alterations in motor behavior and dopamine metabolism. Neurobiology of Aging 46, pp. 107-112. (10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2016.06.020)
- Telezhkin, V. et al. 2016. Forced cell-cycle exit and modulation of GABAA, CREB and GSK3β signaling promote functional maturation of induced pluripotent stem cell-derived neurons. American Journal of Physiology - Cell Physiology, article number: ajpcell.00166.2015. (10.1152/ajpcell.00166.2015)
- Sloan, M. et al. 2016. LRRK2 BAC transgenic rats develop progressive, L-DOPA-responsive motor impairment, and deficits in dopamine circuit function. Human Molecular Genetics 25(5), pp. 951-963. (10.1093/hmg/ddv628)
- Ninkina, N., Connor-Robson, N., Ustyugov, A. A., Tarasova, T., Shelkovnikova, T. and Buchman, V. L. 2015. A novel resource for studying function and dysfunction of α-synuclein: mouse lines for modulation of endogenous Snca gene expression. Scientific Reports 5, article number: 16615. (10.1038/srep16615)
- Cooper-Knock, J. et al. 2013. C9ORF72 transcription in a frontotemporal dementia case with two expanded alleles. Neurology 81(19), pp. 1719-1721. (10.1212/01.wnl.0000435295.41974.2e)
- Shelkovnikova, T., Robinson, H., Connor-Robson, N. and Buchman, V. L. 2013. Recruitment into stress granules prevents irreversible aggregation of FUS protein mislocalized to the cytoplasm. Cell Cycle 12(19), pp. 3194-3202. (10.4161/cc.26241)
- Shelkovnikova, T. et al. 2013. Fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein lacking nuclear localization signal (NLS) and major RNA binding motifs triggers proteinopathy and severe motor phenotype in transgenic mice. Journal of Biological Chemistry 288(35), pp. 25266-25274. (10.1074/jbc.M113.492017)
- Peters, O. M. et al. 2013. Chronic administration of dimebon ameliorates pathology in Tau P301S transgenic mice. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 33(4), pp. 1041-1049. (10.3233/JAD-2012-121732)
- Ninkina, N., Peters, O. M., Connor-Robson, N., Lytkina, O., Sharfeddin, E. and Buchman, V. L. 2012. Contrasting effects of α-Synuclein and γ-Synuclein on the phenotype of cysteine string protein α (CSPα) null mutant mice suggest distinct function of these proteins in neuronal synapses. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287(53), pp. 44471-44477. (10.1074/jbc.M112.422402)
- Anwar, S. et al. 2011. Functional alterations to the nigrostriatal system in mice lacking all three members of the synuclein family. Journal of Neuroscience 31(20), pp. 7264-7274. (10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6194-10.2011)
Thesis
- Connor-Robson, N. 2013. Synucleins in the midbrain dopaminergic system: the role in health and disease. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
- Booth, H. D. et al. 2019. RNA sequencing reveals MMP2 and TGFB1 downregulation in LRRK2 G2019S Parkinson's iPSC-derived astrocytes. Neurobiology of Disease 129, pp. 56-66. (10.1016/j.nbd.2019.05.006)
- Cooper-Knock, J. et al. 2013. C9ORF72 transcription in a frontotemporal dementia case with two expanded alleles. Neurology 81(19), pp. 1719-1721. (10.1212/01.wnl.0000435295.41974.2e)
- Shelkovnikova, T., Robinson, H., Connor-Robson, N. and Buchman, V. L. 2013. Recruitment into stress granules prevents irreversible aggregation of FUS protein mislocalized to the cytoplasm. Cell Cycle 12(19), pp. 3194-3202. (10.4161/cc.26241)
- Shelkovnikova, T. et al. 2013. Fused in sarcoma (FUS) protein lacking nuclear localization signal (NLS) and major RNA binding motifs triggers proteinopathy and severe motor phenotype in transgenic mice. Journal of Biological Chemistry 288(35), pp. 25266-25274. (10.1074/jbc.M113.492017)
- Peters, O. M. et al. 2013. Chronic administration of dimebon ameliorates pathology in Tau P301S transgenic mice. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 33(4), pp. 1041-1049. (10.3233/JAD-2012-121732)
- Connor-Robson, N. 2013. Synucleins in the midbrain dopaminergic system: the role in health and disease. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
- Ninkina, N., Peters, O. M., Connor-Robson, N., Lytkina, O., Sharfeddin, E. and Buchman, V. L. 2012. Contrasting effects of α-Synuclein and γ-Synuclein on the phenotype of cysteine string protein α (CSPα) null mutant mice suggest distinct function of these proteins in neuronal synapses. Journal of Biological Chemistry 287(53), pp. 44471-44477. (10.1074/jbc.M112.422402)
- Anwar, S. et al. 2011. Functional alterations to the nigrostriatal system in mice lacking all three members of the synuclein family. Journal of Neuroscience 31(20), pp. 7264-7274. (10.1523/JNEUROSCI.6194-10.2011)
Biography
I received my BSc in Biomedical Sciences from Cardiff University before completing my PhD on the role of the synuclein family in health and disease. In 2014 I joined the Oxford Parkinson’s Disease Centre at the University of Oxford as a Career Development Fellow in the group of Prof. Richard Wade-Martins. During this time, I worked on understanding the earliest cellular pathogenic events to occur in Parkinson’s Disease using both rodent models and iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons. My work highlighted the extensive roles of LRRK2 mutations in the endocytic and autophagic pathways as well as examining the role of GBA in Parkinson’s.
In 2021 I was awarded an ARUK Research Fellowship and joined the UKDRI as an Emerging Leader.