Dr Christopher Henstridge

Research interests

Synaptic alterations feature in many neurological conditions and this has been a central focus throughout my postgraduate research. I spent my first postdoctoral position in the lab or Dr. Istvan Katona in Budapest, assessing the nanoscale distribution of synaptic proteins in a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome, funded by an EMBO long-term fellowship. With the aim of building upon my technical expertise, I moved to the lab of Dr. Tara Spires-Jones at the University of Edinburgh in 2014 and in 2016 was awarded a 3yr project grant from MND Scotland. The focus of this project is to characterise the synaptic profile of the ALS brain. To do this, I apply high-resolution imaging techniques such as electron microscopy and  array tomography, to examine the structure and function of synapses in human brain. During my time in Edinburgh I helped build the world’s first brain bank of human ALS tissue prepared for the array tomography technique.

In May 2019 I moved to the University of Dundee to establish my own group and continue my research on synaptic pathology in health and disease. My interests are highly interdisciplinary, involving collaboration with local and international colleagues in psychology, neuropathology, neuroimaging, and genetics.

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Motor Neurone Disease