David did his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience, which he followed up with a doctorate in Professor Jon Clarke’s lab at University College London. David was an early adopter of the zebrafish model, using them to investigate neurogenesis in the hindbrain during his PhD, then to explore the role of myelin in the developing nervous system in Professor Will Talbot’s lab at Stanford University. He moved to Edinburgh in 2009 to start his own group, which investigates many aspects of myelin biology and disease. After reading his lab members’ profiles, David is concerned that he needs a better hobby.

David’s ORCID ID

Dr Maria Eichel-Vogel

Jenea is interested in understanding the mechanisms regulating formation, maintenance, and remodeling of myelinated axons throughout life, and how they are disrupted in neurological diseases. After her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at the University of Guelph, Jenea completed her PhD degree in Dr Timothy Kennedy’s Lab at McGill University. Her thesis work explored the role of netrin-1 in oligodendrocytes, myelin maintenance, and remyelination, including uncovering a novel role for netrin-1 in maintaining myelinated axon calibre.  Her current research focuses on the mechanisms controlling myelinated axon calibre growth, and how regulation of axon calibre modulates neuronal circuit function. When she’s not at her bench, you’ll find Jenea on an outdoor adventure with her family or solving riddles in an escape room.

After finishing a bachelor`s and master`s degree Maria undertook her PhD in the lab of Hauke Werner at the Max Planck Institute of Multidisciplinary Sciences in Göttingen, Germany. In her thesis, she discovered the novel Schwann cell protein CMTM6 and investigated its role in regulating axon diameter growth in the peripheral nervous system of mice. How it comes that we have such a very diverse range of axonal diameters remains a riddle thus far, so she decided to find a solution herself. And what better way to answer this than using zebrafish as a model system? Maria moved to Edinburgh, joined the lab for her postdoctoral research to investigate what regulates axonal diameters in the CNS and is amazed by zebrafish daily. She loves to communicate science to the public and is an advocate for open research. Colleagues convinced her that (cold) wild swimming is a healthy & fun exercise to take up in Scotland. Afterwards, she loves to warm up with good coffee while chatting with friends or reading a book. If she is not in Edinburgh, you find her roaming Scotland or exploring warmer parts of the world.

Dr. Julia Meng

In January of 2022, Julia graduated with a PhD in the Program of Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago. She joined Ellie Heckscher’s lab for her PhD thesis work. Using the Drosophila larval motor system as a model, she became hooked with understanding how neuronal circuits assemble beginning with neural stem cells. She studied this question at the level of synaptic partnership choice of single neurons. Near the end of her PhD work, considering what to do next, Julia was still excited about the myriad of questions left to answer if we truly want to understand how functionally mature circuits are established and tuned during development. With the superb optical transparency of zebrafish larvae, this was an obvious model system to study the role oligodendrocytes play in functional maturation of circuits. In the Lyons lab, she is developing an all-optical functional imaging platform where she hopes to perform longitudinal experiments where she can monitor changes in structural features along myelinating axons alongside their action potential conduction properties. Her work is currently funded by an EMBO postdoctoral Fellowship, awarded in Dec 2021. When not in the lab, you can catch her exploring the breathtaking historical and natural landscapes surrounding Edinburgh.

Dr. Marcus Keatinge

Marcus has been working with zebrafish for years, first using them to model Parkinson’s disease during his PhD at the University of Sheffield. He then moved to Edinburgh where he joined the Lyons lab, and identified novel regulators of spinal cord regeneration by establishing the use of synthetic CRISPR for genetic screening purposes as part of the Zebrafish Inflammation and Neurodegenerative Group (ZING). His current research uses the zebrafish model to understand how glial cells contribute to neurodegeneration, and how different risk factors interact to influence neuronal health in vivo. In addition to this, if you’re looking for a podcast or series recommendation, Marcus is the one to ask.

Donia is a PhD student on the Wellcome Trust Tissue Repair programme. She joined the Lyons lab after completing an undergraduate degree in Human Health and Disease in Dublin, and a Master’s degree in Biomedicine in Stockholm. She is particularly interested in neurodegeneration and repair, and is currently investigating the neuronal response to demyelination. Outwith working hours, Donia may be spotted cycling around Edinburgh to meet friends for coffee

Phil did his bachelor’s and master’s degree at the University of Bayreuth in the labs of Gerrit Begemann, Stefan Schuster, and Claus Kuhn. Fascinated by the regenerative capacity of zebrafish, he joined the Lab of Peter Currie at the Australian Regenerative Medicine Institute in Melbourne, where he worked on muscle regeneration. Through the Zenith PhD programme, he has now found his new home at the University of Edinburgh, studying the interaction between glutamate and calcium signalling and their role in active myelination of the spinal cord. He also tries to maintain his own myelin as best as he can, and is often found on the bike track or in the swimming pool.

Eleonora Scalia

Eleonora has recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience at The University of Edinburgh. Interested in the mechanisms that underly neurodegeneration and how it unfolds, she joined the Lyons lab for her bachelor’s thesis to investigate the immediate effects of demyelination on axons in zebrafish. Taken aback by the extremely stimulating research environment, lovely lab members, and her growing passion for the project, Eleonora decided to continue working with the Lyons lab, first as a research technician, and now as a PhD student to pursue it further! Outside of the lab, Eleonora loves to try new recipes, play different racket sports, and plan last minute trips to visit new cities

Imaging Specialist

JULIA VAN DE KORPUT

Julia, a PhD student in the Wellcome Trust Translational Neuroscience programme, discovered her passion for studying demyelination using zebrafish during her final year as a Neuroscience Bachelor’s student at the University of Edinburgh. Initially drawn to the Lyons lab for her thesis, she remained as a research technician post-graduation. In her first year of the PhD, she expanded her expertise through a variety of short lab rotations in different research areas. Returning to the Lyons lab for her doctoral project, Julia focuses on early myelin damage, aiming to uncover mechanisms and potential preventive strategies. She also loves to engage with science communication and patient/public involvement in research. Outside of the lab, Julia can be found rock climbing or practicing drawing.

Daniel Soong

Daniel graduated from University of Glasgow with a degree in Molecular Cell Biology before moving to London and obtaining a PhD on cell migration and cytoskeletal dynamics at the Randall Division of Cell and Molecular Biophysics at King’s College London. During this he gained an appreciation for the power of optics, imaging, and quantification of bioimages. With a career straddling both cancer research and facility management, Daniel is the UK Zebrafish Screening and Imaging Facility manager where he provides imaging, analysis, and experimental design expertise to a wide range of projects. A Fellow of Royal Microscopical Society and member BioImagingUK, Daniel is conscientious observer of accurate and quantifiable applications of imaging technology to biological research questions. Away from the lab, Daniel is a hardcore video gamer and captains a squash team at University of Edinburgh.