Melissa Bowerman

Dr. Melissa Bowerman is a Senior Lecturer in Neuromuscular & Skeletal Disorders at Keele University School of Medicine, affiliated with the Wolfson Centre for Inherited Neuromuscular Disease in Oswestry. Her research focuses on identifying pathological pathways in rare diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), employing omics, bioinformatics, and drug repurposing strategies. She holds a PhD from the University of Ottawa and has held postdoctoral positions at the Institut des Neurosciences de Montpellier and the University of Oxford, alongside prestigious fellowships including the EMBO Long-Term Fellowship and SMA Trust Career Development Fellowship.

Her teaching contributions span undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including the MBChB degree, M.Sc. Neuroscience, and Physician Associate Studies. Dr. Bowerman’s publications (15+ recent articles) emphasize therapeutic development for neuromuscular disorders, with a focus on SMA pathophysiology, gene therapy, and translational research. Notable awards include the CIHR Banting Best Doctoral Award and the OHRI Worton Researcher Award.

• Research Themes: Rare disease mechanisms, drug repurposing, genetic therapies.
• Labs/Teams: Leads the Bowerman Lab and co-leads Keele’s Neuroscience & Neurology Research Group.