We are delighted to announce that Prof Mina Ryten has been appointed as the new Director of the UK DRI Centre at Cambridge University, and Van Geest Professor.
Prof Ryten is a leading clinical scientist in genetics and, alongside her research, which focuses on the use of functional genomics to understand complex and rare neurogenetic disorders, she cares for individuals and families with a range of genetic conditions. As well as leading the Cambridge Centre, Prof Ryten will drive a research programme at UK DRI which aims to improve the understanding of Lewy body diseases using functional genomics, including spatial transcriptomics and long-read RNA sequencing applied to human brain tissue and patient iPSC-derived brain relevant cell types.
The experience and expertise in data science that Prof Ryten will bring to UK DRI is very exciting, as this an area the Institute is continuing to expand in to, and she has already generated several valuable tools in this area through her research.
Dementia research is at the cusp of making a real impact on patients and their families, and I am looking forward to playing my part in this great effort through my new role at the UK DRI Cambridge centre.Prof Mina Ryten
Currently Professor of Clinical Genetics at UCL’s Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Genetics at Great Ormond Street Hospital, Prof Ryten will start engaging with the UK DRI from October onwards and will be full time from 1 January 2024.
We would like to sincerely thank Prof David Rubinsztein for stepping up as Interim Director over the past year and for his broader contributions to the Institute. David will of course maintain his very productive research as a UK DRI Group Leader at the Cambridge Centre.
Prof Ryten will also take up a leadership position on the UK DRI’s Scientific Strategy and Operational board, playing an important role in steering the future direction of the Institute.
UK DRI Director Prof Bart De Strooper and Chief Operating Officer Dr Adrian Ivinson, said:
“We are so happy that Mina will joining us. She will be a wonderful addition to the Institute both in terms of her personal research programme and her leadership of the Cambridge centre.”
For more information on the Ryten Lab, please visit www.rytenlab.com
Article published: 12 May 2023