Tara Spires-Jones

Prof Tara Spires-Jones

(FMedSci (she/her))

Group Leader

Deciphering why synapses and neurons degenerate and whether boosting resilience of synapses can protect the brain

Condition

Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia

Topics

Ageing, Cell biology of neurons & glia, Synapse & Circuitry

Techniques

Advanced microscopy & imaging, Mouse in vivo imaging, Non-mammalian animal models, Stem cells / iPSCs

Biography

Prof Tara Spires-Jones’ FMedSci research focuses on the mechanisms and reversibility of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease, other degenerative brain diseases, and ageing.  Her work has shown that soluble forms of pathological amyloid beta and tau contribute to synapse and neurodegeneration and that pathological forms of tau spread through the brain via synapses. 

In addition to research, Prof Spires-Jones is passionate about communicating scientific findings to the public and policy makers; increasing the rigour and reproducibility in translational neuroscience; promoting inclusivity and diversity in science; and supporting career development of neuroscientists. She is President of the British Neuroscience Association (2023-2025), Director of the University of Edinburgh Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, and was elected to the UK Academy of Medical Sciences in 2024.

News

Key publications

Nature
Published
Caspase activation precedes and leads to tangles
Authors
Alix de Calignon, Leora M. Fox, Rose Pitstick, George A. Carlson, Brian J. Bacskai, Tara L. Spires-Jones, Bradley T. Hyman
Caspase activation precedes and leads to tangles
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Published
Oligomeric amyloid beta associates with postsynaptic densities and correlates with excitatory synapse loss near senile plaques
Authors
Robert M. Koffie, Melanie Meyer-Luehmann, Tadafumi Hashimoto, Kenneth W. Adams, Matthew L. Mielke, Monica Garcia-Alloza, Kristina D. Micheva, Stephen J. Smith, M. Leo Kim, Virginia M. Lee, Bradley T. Hyman, Tara L. Spires-Jones
Oligomeric amyloid beta associates with postsynaptic densities and correlates with excitatory synapse loss near senile plaques
Science
Published
Tau suppression in a neurodegenerative mouse model improves memory function
Authors
K. SantaCruz*, J. Lewis*, T. Spires*, J. Paulson, L. Kotilinek, M. Ingelsson, A. Guimaraes, M. DeTure, M. Ramsden, E. McGowan, C. Forster, M. Yue, J. Orne, C. Janus, A. Mariash, M. Kuskowski, B. Hyman, M. Hutton, K. H. Ashe
Tau suppression in a neurodegenerative mouse model improves memory function

Spires-Jones Lab

Explore the work of the Spires-Jones Lab focused on deciphering why synapses and neurons degenerate and whether boosting resilience of synapses can protect the brain.

Spires-Jones Lab
Human iPSC neurons from researcher Jamie Toombs