Jeff Liddell

I am interested in understanding the underlying causes of neurodegeneration and developing therapeutics. Specifically, I investigate how astrocytes and microglia interact to modulate neuronal function and survival in the central nervous system. I use primary cultured brain cells including co-culture models, live-cell imaging, qPCR and other biochemical methods, as well as complementary analyses of human tissue and animal models of neurodegeneration to achieve this. A primary focus is aberrant biometal regulation, including the loss, gain or mislocalisation of essential metals such as iron, copper and zinc in neurodegenerative diseases. We have dedicated laser ablation ICP-MS instruments for anatomical elemental and biometal imaging as well as analyses of bulk and micro samples. Our therapeutic strategy of modulating metal homeostasis is proving highly effective and has driven translation of the drug Cu(atsm) into current clinical trials in Australian motor neuron disease and Parkinson’s disease patients with promising early results.

Dr Jeff Liddell is a postdoc in the Crouch lab in the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. He has been a postdoc at the University of Melbourne since completing his PhD at Monash University in 2011. He has held an NHMRC Peter Doherty Fellowship, NHMRC Project Grant and numerous other grants, and is currently co-chair of SBS-EMCRA.