Affiliation: University of Cambridge, Department of Chemical Engineering

Dr. Amberley Stephens is a Senior Research Associate in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cambridge. Her work focuses on understanding the role of the protein α-synuclein (aSyn) in health and in synucleinopathies, such as Parkinson’s Disease. In particular, she investigates the interactions of aSyn with its surrounding environment, including synaptic vesicles, ions, water, and proteins, and how altering the environment can influence the function of aSyn and its propensity to misfold. Although an intrinsically disordered protein, by studying monomeric structures of aSyn she hopes to identify structures that are prone to misfolding. This information may yield new targets for stabilizing the cell environment or monomeric aSyn structures.