Professor Mimoun Azzouz
Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health
Chair of Translational Neuroscience
ERC Advanced Investigator
Director of Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC)
ARDAT Coordinator
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+44 114 222 2238
Full contact details
Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Population Health
Room B31
91直播 Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)
385a Glossop Road
91直播
S10 2HQ
- Profile
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Professor Azzouz obtained a Master in Neuroscience with 1st Class Honours from the University of Marseille in 1994. In 1997 he was awarded a PhD in Neuropharmacology at the University Louis Pasteur in Strasbourg. He then worked as post-doctoral scientist at the Gene Therapy Center in Lausanne, Switzerland from 1997 to 2000.
He was recruited in 2000 by Oxford BioMedica plc as Senior Scientist then appointed as Director of Neurobiology in 2003. In 2006, he was invited to join the University of 91直播 and was appointed to the Chair of Translational Neuroscience. Azzouz is currently Deputy Head of Department, Research & Innovation.
His track record of translational research productivity is characterised by publications in top ranking scientific journals. He won prestigious awards including the ERC Advanced Investigator (2011) and ERC Proof-of-Concept (2017) Awards. These awards are top level EU ad hominem award acknowledging his pre-eminence in European biomedical research.
He is a member Panels/Boards for various funding bodies such as the Medical Research Council (Translational MRC Panel, UK), the French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM), the Health Research Board (HRB) of Ireland, Research Council of Norway, and the Neuroscience Panel, Germany.
He has been recently named as Board member of the British Society for Gene and Cell Therapy. He serves as Scientific Advisor for pharmaceutical companies and other organisations.
- Research interests
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Professor Azzouz has achieved international pre-eminence in the field of gene therapy applications and vector development for neurodegenerative diseases. His contribution has been outstanding over the last 15 years as evidenced by the quality of publications achieved.
He has achieved a very high international status in an important field. His original and pioneering work, which has already produced major breakthroughs in animal models of neurodegenerative diseases, will in the near future, translate into major therapeutic advances in the field of human neurodegenerative disease.
Azzouz has great drive and passion to employ his scientific skills for the ultimate benefit of patients and families suffering from some of the most devastating diseases in medicine.
Azzouz achievements went beyond therapy development. Indeed, he also made significant discoveries related to the mechanisms of diseases in ALS/MND and SMA. For example, The recent discovery of the mechanism underpinning genome instability and neural cell death caused by C9orf72 expansion in ALS [Nature Neuroscience 20(9):1225-1235. (2017)] and role of PTEN in ALS and SMA [Human Molecular Genetics, 19(16):3159-68 (2010); Brain, 134(Pt 2):506-17 (2011)].
His exceptional achievements were recently recognised at the European level by winning the prestigious ERC Advanced Investigator and ERC PoC Awards designed for individuals with excellence in scientific research. These awards offer him a platform to cement his European leadership in the field of gene therapy and translational neuroscience.
Current projects
- Utilisation of viral based gene transfer systems for research and therapy applications.
- Design and development of CNS targeted gene therapy vector systems
- In vitro and in vivo modelling of ALS/MND and SMA using viral vectors
- Identification of novel gene therapeutics to neurodegeneration in motor neuron diseases and HSP.
- Development and testing of various gene therapy concepts: neuroprotection (GDNF, VEGF), gene silencing (SOD1), gene replacement (SMN, SPG15, SPG47) and approaches based on CRISPR modulation of expansions (C9orf72).
- Clinical development to gene therapeutics: GLP regulatory safety studies and GMP manufacturing
- Biology of RNA binding proteins (e.g. SMN, Gle1).
- Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms linked to DNA instability in ALS/MND, SMA and Dementia.
- Molecular pathways and signalling of motor neuron death (e.g. PTEN)
Collaborations
- , 91直播, 91直播, UK
- Professor Michael Sendtner, Germany
- Professor Nicola Woodroofe, 91直播 Halam University, 91直播, UK
- Dr Jean-Marc Gallo, King's College London, UK
- Dr. Guiseppe Battaglia, 91直播, UK.
- Professor Ruth Luthi-Carter, University of Leicester
- Professor Tom Gillingwater, Edinburgh University
- Professor Henry Houlden, University College London, UK
- Dr Jenny Hirst, University of Cambridge, UK
- Publications
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Journal articles
- Prevention of mutant SOD1 motoneuron degeneration by copper chelators in vitro.. J Neurobiol, 42(1), 49-55.
- Progressive motor neuron impairment in an animal model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.. Muscle Nerve, 20(1), 45-51.
Chapters
Conference proceedings papers
Patents
Datasets
Preprints
- Research group
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Research team
- Evangelia Karyka, Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Joseph Scarrott, Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Michela Pulix, Postdoctoral Research Associate
- Emily Graves, PhD Student
- Jo茫o Alves-Cruzeiro, PhD Student
- Paolo Marchi, PhD Student
- Louise Whiteley, Research Technician
- Nesrin Gariballa, Research Attachment
- Professional activities and memberships
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- 2006-08 Advisor for Oxford BioMedica plc
- 2008-13 Member of the Scientific Advisory Board, Muscular Dystrophy Association (F)
- 2010 Committee of assessors for Genethon, Paris, France
- 2010-16 Member of Strategic Board, AFM (F)
- 2011-12 Advisor for BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc
- 2012-14 Panel Member for the Research Council of Norway
- 2012-16 Panel member for the UK Medical Research Council (DPFS, MRC)
- 2012-13 Advisor for QBRI, Qatar Foundation, Qatar
- 2012- Member of Research Excellence Framework 2014 (REF14) Committee, FMDH
- 2013-14 Neuroscience Panel Member, German Ministry of Education and Research
- 2013- Panel member, Health Research Board (HRB), Dublin (Ireland)
- 2014- Wellcome Trust Virtual Panel member for Translational Research Funds
- 2015-17 Advisor for Spherium biomed
- 2016- Board member of British Society for Gene & Cell Therapy
- 2017- Advisory Board, IBRO-MENA
- 2017- Scientific Advisor for the Batten CLN7 trial (Beat Batten)
- 2017- Scientific Advisor for CureSPG47
- 2017- Assessor for Innovate UK
- 2017- Scientific Advisory Board, Telocyte, USA
- 2017- Scientific Advisor for Maddi Foundation
- Honours and awards
- 2017: ERC Proof-of-Concept Award
- 2014: Chair and organiser of Fusion Conference, Cancun, Mexico
- 2012: ERC Advanced Investigator Award
- 2012: Nomination for The Shaw Prize 2012
- 2011: MRC DPFS Award holder
- 2008: Chairman of UK SMA Conference
- 2006: Faculty of the American Society of Gene Therapy
- 2006: Faculty of the American Society of Neuroscience
- 2006: Approached for an advisory role to the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) for 鈥淒efra desk study to review environmental risks from research trials and marketing of Genetically Modified (GM) veterinary and human medicines鈥