Mike Cheetham

Mike Cheetham is a Professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, specializing in neurodegenerative disease mechanisms and therapies for inherited retinal dystrophies. His lab pioneered 3D retinal organoid models and developed an antisense therapy for LCA10 now in clinical trials.

• Education: PhD (University of London, 1991), BSc (University of Wales, Swansea, 1983)

Research focuses on proteostasis in the nervous system, using stem cell and animal models to dissect molecular pathways in retinal dystrophies. Recent work includes gene editing for rhodopsin mutations and small molecule interventions for ciliary defects.

Publications highlight advancements in CRISPRa-mediated therapies, ABCA4 variant rescue, and light-induced toxicity prevention, aligning with his expertise in molecular biology and ophthalmology.

• Collaborations: Extensive partnerships in gene therapy, retinal modeling, and neurodegeneration studies