Majlinda Lako, Professor

For her PhD studies in Human Genetics in 1993 she joined the lab of two world known geneticists, Prof. Tom Strachan and Susan Lindsay, in Newcastle, where she cloned and characterised novel genes involved in development of the brain. These led to a great interest in pluripotent stem cell biology, which she studied at Durham University. In 2003, she established her own research group at Newcastle University’s Institute of Genetic Medicine, where she pioneered the establishment of human pluripotent stem cells and development of robust methods for generation of light responsive retinal organoids for disease modelling, drug discovery and therapeutic applications. Studying the developmental biology and disease of the eye is a core activity of her research group. Dysfunction of any of the cell types that reside in the retina or supporting cells, the retinal pigmented epithelium (RPE), which is vital for the health of the retina, will disrupt vision. The aim of her research group is to determine the mechanisms that cause such disruption and find ways to repair the damage.

She is the Co-director of Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Transplantation, a member of the Biosciences Institute and her work contributes to the Regenerative Medicine, Stem Cells and Transplantation theme. She is also part of the Neuroscience NUCoRE.