BACKGROUND
Professor Luminita Paraoan leads the Ocular Molecular Biology and Mechanisms of Disease Group in the Department of Eye and Vision Science, in the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease of the University of Liverpool, UK. Earlier in her career, Luminita was a Fulbright Research Scholar at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA and a Wellcome Trust Prize Scholar in The Department of Biochemistry, University of Liverpool, UK.Luminita was then a Wellcome Trust Prize Fellow at The University of Liverpool where she joined the Faculty of Medicine in 2001 and developed her research interests in the area of gene expression and regulation in retinal pigment epithelial cells and other ocular pigmented cells, with particular emphasis on processes such as proteolysis, apoptosis, cellular signalling, extracellular matrix and intracellular trafficking. By studying these processes the researchers in the Paraoan group have identified and characterized molecular determinants of normal physiological and pathological states of specific eye tissues. The studies have implications for ocular and neuro-degenerative diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration and Alzheimer's disease, glaucoma, proliferative pathology and cancer.
NATIONALITY
Romanian/British
STATEMENT
Here is one of my favourite quotes: “Chance favours the prepared mind” - Louis Pasteur (scientist pioneering the principles of vaccination, microbial fermentation and pasteurization)
WHAT DOES YOUR WORK INVOLVE?
Having an academic position involves a combination of research, teaching and various leadership roles – in and outside the University, including membership of professional bodies and often with a strong international element. Research occupies the majority of time and it is done together with a group of people, at various stages of their careers: mostly postgraduate students (studying for Masters degrees and PhD) and post-doctoral researchers. Our research tries to unveil how different types of cells that make up our eyes work, what makes them so specialised, what changes or goes wrong in ageing and in different diseases affecting vision.
The eye is a fascinating, complex collection of different types of cells (organised in tissues) that work beautifully together to provide us with arguably the most important sense. The majority of these cells are irreplaceable and perform high energy demand functions throughout our life. In cells like these, the effect of ageing is very important and often leads to impairment of functions.
Our studies have relevance for degenerative conditions of the retina (the light sensitive tissue) and for cancer (the most common adult eye cancer is called uveal melanoma).
HOW LONG HAS THE HUMANE RESEARCH TRUST BEEN FUNDING YOU?
My group has first received support from The Humane Research Trust in 2010, which has continued since. It has helped to train researchers, expand and develop research projects and publish loads of high quality original research papers.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU HAVE FOUND OUT IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS? WHY?
We have made key discoveries in each of the two main areas of research in the lab. In one, we have identified a critical cross-talk between cell survival and inflammation pathways which occurs in cancer cells (and likely in other dysfunctional cells). We have also optimized a relatively complex methodology which we used to induce permanent changes in the genome of specialized ocular cells which we study in relation to age-related macular degeneration. This allows us to develop further the in vitro experimental cell-based models to study the pathogenesis of such degenerative conditions and assess possible new ways of slowing down or treating them.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE/EXPECT TO ACHIEVE AS A RESULT OF THE HUMANE RESEARCH TRUST FUNDING?
We aim to identify and characterise key protein-protein interactions, their regulation and the way they modulate the molecular mechanism of the fundamental cellular processes involved in resistance to cell death in cancer and neurodegeneration. A better understanding of these processes is required for the rational development of novel therapeutic avenues to target these diseases.
WHAT DO YOU DO IN A TYPICAL DAY?
It is absolutely true that no day is like another! However, what I always do when in Liverpool is seeing and talking with my group. (Even when I am away on conferences or examining or teaching abroad, we keep in touch regularly and share the joy of good results or the ideas to troubleshoot experiments that did not work). Inevitably, when good work occurs - and often this takes long hours and true dedication – a strong bond forms among the group members and a true appreciation of solid knowledge, innovative ideas and creative thinking. We are continuously learning from each other.
Generally the time is split between lab, office, meetings, teaching.
WHAT’S YOUR GREATEST RESEARCH ACHIEVEMENT?
Key moments in the development of each research area in the group have been marked, on the one hand, by the discovery of the effector of cell death whose impaired function in eye cancer ensures survival of these cells, and on the other, by the discovery of specific defects in trafficking inside the cell of proteins leading to development of age-related macular degeneration.
WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO DO THIS WORK?
I was fortunate to have (or to notice!) inspiring people around me: teachers, friends, younger and older colleagues. I am indebted to them all. A constant inspiration came from my mother – a biologist with a truly amazing vision, dedication and work ethics for research, who in addition had an outstanding courage to embark on novel areas of research and develop and implement new methodologies. She continues to be a very good sound board on which I bounce ideas. I can even say that she was the unintended supervisor of my very first experiment. It happened early in my childhood, visiting the lab in Bucharest, Romania, where she was doing experiments for her PhD on insect behaviour. I must have looked with great interest to the numerous dishes – very neatly labelled and organised – in which insects in various stages of development and undergoing different, very well controlled treatments grew; I decided to have a better look at them, so I spread them all on the bench and … lifted all lids! Needless to say that setting them free was not the intended outcome of the original experiment …
Now, thinking back at this, I don’t think I could keep so calm, as my mother did, if one of my students would show this sort of “creativity”! I can only say that I have still a lot to learn from my mother…
DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT HOW YOUR WORK CAN HELP PEOPLE?
Although we do not work directly with patients, it is clear that the ultimate aim of the studies we are undertaking is to alleviate diseases and conditions affecting first and foremost vision impairments. I make sure that I keep that in focus for the whole group by us meeting and talking with various patients groups, presenting and discussing our research in lay terms – it is always a most humbling and enlightening experience.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN’T A SCIENTIST?
I really don’t know. I have tried to imagine myself in various professions and I don’t think anything else would have given me the same satisfaction.
ABOUT LUMINITA
Enjoys skiing and holidays packed with activities and sightseeing (which is a must when you have three sons!).
Guilty pleasures: good coffee and dark chocolate.
