Helene Plun-Favreau

Professor Helene Plun-Favreau is a distinguished cell biologist and Professor of Cellular Neurodegeneration at University College London's Queen Square Institute of Neurology. She serves as Deputy Director for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at the Institute and maintains an active research laboratory focused on mitochondrial dysfunction in neurodegenerative diseases. Her work bridges molecular biology, neuroscience, and translational research to understand the mechanisms underlying Parkinson's disease and related disorders.

Her educational background includes:

• Doctor of Philosophy from Universite d'Angers (2002)
• Master of Science from Universite de Poitiers (1999)
• Bachelor of Science from Universite d'Angers (1998)

Prof. Plun-Favreau's research centers on mitochondrial quality control mechanisms, particularly mitophagy, in neurodegenerative diseases. Her laboratory investigates how defects in PINK1-dependent mitophagy contribute to Parkinson's disease pathogenesis, using advanced cellular models including iPSC-derived neurons from patients. The team employs live-cell imaging, molecular biology techniques, and high-content screening to identify novel risk genes and potential therapeutic targets. Her work has significantly advanced understanding of how mitochondrial dysfunction drives neuronal death in Parkinson's and related disorders.

Analysis of Prof. Plun-Favreau's publication record reveals a strong focus on the molecular mechanisms linking mitochondrial dysfunction to neurodegeneration, particularly through the PINK1-Parkin pathway. Her research increasingly incorporates genetic approaches to identify risk factors and molecular pathways, with growing emphasis on translational applications for therapeutic development. The interdisciplinary nature of her work bridges basic cell biology with clinical neuroscience, addressing fundamental questions about neuronal vulnerability in Parkinson's disease.

Prof. Plun-Favreau contributes significantly to academic training at UCL:

• Teaches "mitochondrial dysfunction associated with neurodegeneration" in the Clinical Neuroscience MSc
• Teaches in the Neuroscience MSc program
• Contributes to the Neurogenetics MSc curriculum
• Instructs in the MRes Brain Sciences program
• Teaches NEUR0010-0011-0012 Neurobiology of Brain Injury and Disease

Her laboratory maintains active collaborations across the neuroscience community, focusing on developing models to study mitophagy and identifying compounds that can modulate mitochondrial pathophysiology to rescue neuronal death in neurodegenerative conditions.