Prof Chris Shaw will be stepping down as Director for the UK DRI’s Centre at King’s College London, but will remain a Group Leader to continue his programme of research. The search has now begun for a replacement who will also be appointed as van Geest Professor of Neurodegeneration Research.
Prof Shaw has taken the decision to step down as Centre Director to focus on ALS gene therapy following the launch of his successful UK DRI spin-out last year. The company, for which he is Chief Scientific Officer, has grown substantially and seen exciting developments which understandably require a large investment in time and energy.
On behalf of the Institute, UK DRI Director Prof Bart De Strooper, said:
“We sincerely thank Chris for his hard work and pivotal leadership in setting up the Centre, bringing together a brilliant team of researchers to uncover the earliest fundamental changes in neurodegenerative disease. It’s been fantastic to see the development and success of his UK DRI spin-out and we are fully supportive of his ambition to take this novel ALS gene therapy to the clinic. Remaining as a Group Leader at the Institute, his experience in translation will continue to aid us on our path to therapies.”
Prof Chris Shaw joined the UK DRI as Centre Director at its establishment in 2017. In addition to this role, Prof Shaw is Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London and Director of the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute. He has spearheaded research on ALS/MND at the Centre and launched the Adeno-associated Virus (AAV) Platform – the first of the UK DRI Director’s Strategic Initiatives.
