Emanuel Lopes

I am a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in the Cragg Group funded by a Celgene/Oxford collaboration. I am currently studying dopamine transmission in rodent models of experimental Parkinsonism centred on the identification, validation and development of modifiers of deubiquitinating enzymes for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

I first joined the lab as a DPhil student, where I studied the role of local striatal factors (such as GABA and acetylcholine) in regulating dopamine release, and how these factors could be altered in disease states such as Parkinson’s Disease. To study this, I mainly employed electrochemical techniques such as fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and amperometry, optogenetics, and immunohistochemistry.

Prior to my time in Oxford, I underwent my honours year practical project under the supervision of Dr Andrew Irving in the University of Dundee, where I studied the role of the putative cannabinoid receptor GPR55 in neuronal development and disease.