Taya M Bosson

Profile

After completing my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of Leeds, I began studying as a postgraduate researcher in October 2022 funded by the White Rose BBSRC DTP in Mechanistic Biology, under the supervision of Dr Jessica Kwok and Professor Sheena Radford.

During my undergraduate degree I completed an industrial placement year at the Centre for Biomarker Research at the University of Huddersfield under the supervision of Dr Patrick McHugh where I worked on projects involving genes of interest in chronic pain. My undergraduate research project was under the supervision of Professor Asipu Sivaprasadarao, where my project was to investigate the TRPM2 ion channel in TRPM2-mediated cell death and mitochondrial dysfunction during oxidative stress, given that oxidative stress has been linked to neurological conditions, including neurodegeneration. 

Research interests

My broad research interests are in neurodegeneration and the brain extracellular matrix. My current research project focuses on perineuronal nets in the pathogensis of Parkinson’s Disease, with my project being titled “Perineuronal nets as a barrier to α-synuclein neuronal internalisation”. α-synuclein is the major component of Lewy Bodies which are the pathological hallmark of Parkinson’s Disease. Perineuronal nets are a specialised extracellular matrix structure which are found surrounding neurones in specific areas of the central nervous system. During my project I aim to:

1. Characterise the α-synuclein species, and their structures recovered from human Parkinson’s Disease samples.
2. Determine the interactions between chondroitin sulphates within the perineuronal nets and the α-synuclein species identified in (1). 
3. Determine the impact of these interactions on α-synuclein internalisation and seeding, in addition to neuronal morphology and physiology.

My project will provide further insights into the molecular mechanisms which underpin the pathogenesis of Parkinson’s Disease and provide further information as to whether perineuronal nets act as a protective barrier against α-synuclein neuronal internalisation.

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) Neuroscience (Industrial)

Research groups and institutes

• Neurodegeneration