After doing a BSc in Biochemistry at Imperial College and a PhD at University College London, Ian took a post-doctoral position at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla to investigate regulation of gene expression brought about by cell adhesion. Ian returned to University College London to continue his focus on gene regulation and then obtained a fellowship at the University of Leeds to start his own research group and expanded his interest to encompass chromatin regulation and epigenetics. Ian currently has an interest in regulation of gene expression and the modulation of chromatin in the ageing and diseased brain.

Keywords: Neuroscience, Gene regulation, epigenetics, neurodegeneration

Sassan Hafizi studied for a BSc in Biochemistry at RHUL and a PhD in cardiovascular cell pharmacology from the NHLI, Imperial College London. His postdoctoral research took place at Lund University between 1999-2009 on the molecular/cellular mechanisms of the TAM receptor system. Sassan continued his research work as an independent investigator, until joining the University of Portsmouth in 2009 as a Senior Lecturer. Sassan is now a Reader in Cell and Molecular Biology at the same institution.

Keywords: Receptor tyrosine kinases, vitamin K-dependent proteins, cell signaling, glial cell biology, neuroinflammation