Led by Dr Juan Varela, our Neurophotonics Lab is based at the University of St Andrews within the School of Physics and Astronomy and the Centre of Biophotonics.
We develop high-resolution microscopy strategies to study the brain at the nanoscale, using fluorescent nanoparticles, proteins and organic dyes. Our aim is to harmonise super-resolution imaging techniques with in vivo rodent models to understand and cure neurodegenerative diseases.
The three main axes of research in our lab are:
- Structural features of protein aggregates in neurodegeneration
- Toxicity of protein aggregates in neurodegeneration
- Clearance of protein aggregates from the extracellular space of the brain
