Heidi Mcbride PhD

Dr. Heidi McBride contributes her expertise in the cell biology of mitochondrial dysfunction to the complex pathogenesis of motor neuron and other degenerative diseases. Her laboratory uses various complementary approaches to try to understand why hundreds of mitochondria inside each cell behave as an interconnected group, and what this interaction means to the cell, to tissues and to the body. Mitochondria work as combustion engines, using oxygen to burn fat and sugar. The consequent energy is used in our bodies as fuel. It was long thought that mitochondria performed their function without disturbing the general state of the cell, but recent data has changed this view. Today, mitochondria are seen as extremely dynamic structures that fuse together, branch and split apart.

Mutations in mitochondrial proteins can lead to serious degenerative diseases. The plasticity of these organelles is tied directly to removing damaged sections of protein and lipid. Mitochondrial dysfunction is now linked to the causes of diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson's disease. By characterizing mitochondrial behaviour, Dr. McBride hopes to identify new therapeutic approaches to treating degenerative disease.