Charmaine Lang

Dr. Charmaine Lang is a Research Fellow and Group Leader at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Medicine (NDM) within the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (DPAG). She serves as a Biomedical Sciences Tutor at St Catherine's College and is a Visiting Academic at the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery. Her work is supported by major funding bodies including Parkinson's UK, Rosetrees Trust, and the Michael J Fox Foundation.

Dr. Lang completed her undergraduate degree (BSc Hons I) at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, followed by a PhD at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research focusing on alpha synuclein and mitochondrial dysfunction in Parkinson's disease. She joined Oxford in February 2015 for a postdoctoral fellowship in Richard Wade-Martins' lab.

Her research focuses on understanding Parkinson's disease mechanisms using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs). She leads two major projects: investigating neuron-glial communication in neurodegeneration, and transcriptomics analysis of Parkinson's iPSC-derived neurons and glia for therapeutic target discovery. Her work examines how astrocytes support dopamine neurons and identifies molecular pathways affected in Parkinson's using advanced techniques like single-cell RNA sequencing.

Analysis of Dr. Lang's publications reveals a consistent focus on Parkinson's disease mechanisms using iPSC models. Her work spans cellular modeling, transcriptomics, and molecular pathway analysis, with particular emphasis on GBA and LRRK2 mutations. The research demonstrates an evolution from foundational studies on α-synuclein and mitochondrial dysfunction toward more sophisticated models examining neuron-glial interactions and single-cell resolution of disease progression.

Scientific Contributions:

• Developed innovative iPSC-based models of Parkinson's disease
• Identified molecular pathways involved in neuron-glial communication
• Discovered potential therapeutic targets through transcriptomic analysis
• Advanced understanding of cellular mechanisms in Parkinson's

As an educator, Dr. Lang serves as a Senior Doctoral Training Advisor and is active on the DPAG Graduate Studies Committee and Training and Career Development Working Group. She supervises multiple DPhil students and postdoctoral researchers, and teaches in the MSc Neuroscience program and undergraduate Medicine courses. Her team includes researchers working on various aspects of Parkinson's disease modeling and therapeutic discovery.

Dr. Lang's research group maintains strong collaborative ties with the Oxford Parkinson's Disease Centre (OPDC) and benefits from funding by major organizations including Parkinson's UK, Rosetrees Trust, Dementia Discovery Fund, and AstraZeneca. Her work bridges basic science and translational research, with a clear focus on identifying therapeutic targets for Parkinson's disease.