Frances Mary Platt

Frances Mary Platt is a Professor of Biochemistry and Pharmacology at the University of Oxford, UK. She holds a BSc in Zoology from Imperial College London and a PhD in Animal Physiology from the University of Bath. Her research focuses on lysosomal storage diseases, particularly the pathobiology of glycosphingolipids and the development of therapies such as substrate reduction therapy (SRT). She co-developed the drug miglustat/Zavesca for glycosphingolipid storage diseases. Platt has held roles including Lister Institute Senior Research Fellow (1996–2002) and moved to the Department of Pharmacology in 2006. She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2011.

• Education:
  • BSc Zoology, Imperial College London
  • PhD in Animal Physiology, University of Bath
• Research Interests: Biomarkers for storage diseases, cell biology of glycosphingolipids, lysosomal dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases, immune system effects in metabolic disorders.

Her work has led to significant advancements in understanding and treating lysosomal storage disorders. Recent publications explore therapeutic approaches using heat shock proteins and biomarkers for disease monitoring. Platt has received prestigious awards, including the Alan Gordon Memorial Award and Horst-Bickel Award for pioneering research in metabolic disease treatments. She leads the Platt Lab (plattlab.nsms.ox.ac.uk), focusing on translational research in glycobiology and pharmacology.