Esther Becker

Esther Becker is Professor of Translational Neuroscience at the University of Oxford's Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (NDCN), where she joined in 2020. She holds multiple leadership roles including Co-Director of the Oxford Interdisciplinary Bioscience Doctoral Training Partnership and the Interdisciplinary Life and Environmental Science Landscape Award (ILESLA), Co-Director of the Society for Research on the Cerebellum and Ataxias, and President of AcademiaNet. As an Official Fellow at Reuben College specializing in Cellular Life, she maintains strong connections across Oxford's collegiate system while leading the Cerebellar Disease Group and collaborating with the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery.

Becker earned her MSc in Medical Biology cum laude from the University of Amsterdam in 2000 before completing her PhD at Harvard University's Biomedical and Biological Sciences program in 2006 under Azad Bonni. Her doctoral work made significant contributions to understanding signaling mechanisms regulating cell death in the developing nervous system. Following postdoctoral work with Kay Davies at Oxford, she established her independent research program in 2010 after receiving the prestigious Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship from the Royal Society.

Her research focuses on unraveling the genetic, molecular, and cellular mechanisms underlying cerebellar neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases, with emphasis on spinocerebellar ataxias and Purkinje cell biology. Using approaches spanning mouse models, human genetics, and stem cell technology including cerebellar organoids, her work bridges basic science with therapeutic development. Recent publications demonstrate her leadership in applying cutting-edge techniques like single-cell analysis to cerebellar research while maintaining focus on translational applications for disorders like ARSACS and medulloblastoma.

Becker's scientific contributions have been recognized through multiple prestigious fellowships including the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds PhD Fellowship, Albert J. Ryan Foundation Fellowship, Human Frontier Science Program Fellowship, and OXION Training Fellowship, culminating in the Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellowship that launched her independent career.

As Co-Director of two major doctoral training programs, she plays a significant role in shaping the next generation of interdisciplinary bioscience researchers while leading her active research group focused on developing better treatments for cerebellar disorders. Her laboratory leverages advanced models including human-induced pluripotent stem cells and cerebellar organoids to study disease mechanisms and potential therapeutic interventions.