Oliver G. Steele

Dr. Oliver G. Steele serves as Lecturer B in Physiology at Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), where he teaches Phase 1 of the BM BS Course and leads the BSMS204 Reproduction & Endocrinology module. His research focuses on electrophysiological mechanisms in neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental disorders, with particular expertise in ApoE physiology and NMDA receptor pharmacology.

His educational background includes:

• BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences with PTY (University of Exeter Medical School)
• MPhil in Biomedicine (Cardiff School of Biosciences)
• PhD in Neuroscience (University of Sussex)
• PGCertHE (Higher Education Academy)

Dr. Steele's research investigates synaptic transmission mechanisms in Alzheimer's, Huntington's, and CDKL5 Deficiency disorders using advanced electrophysiological techniques. His work uniquely bridges ApoE4 pathophysiology with NMDAR antagonist pharmacology, exploring ketamine and memantine mechanisms independent of traditional Alzheimer's pathology models. Current projects examine how ApoE isoforms directly modulate neuronal function at synaptic and intrinsic levels.

His recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on ApoE4-related pathophysiological mechanisms and innovative electrophysiology tools. The 2022 'multi-hit hypothesis' paper establishes foundational work for understanding APOE4's direct synaptic impact, while his Eventer software (2020-2021) provides open-source solutions for synaptic event detection using machine learning.

Scientific recognitions include:

• Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2019)
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2023)

Dr. Steele actively supervises IRP students and co-supervises MSc/MRes students through Sussex Neuroscience partnerships. His research is supported by Repair HD (European consortium), Sussex Neuroscience, Alzheimer’s Society, and Alzheimer’s Research UK grants. He maintains extensive collaborations with University of Sussex's Schools of Life Sciences and Psychology, BSMS's Department of Neuroscience, and international networks through Repair HD.

Though not leading a named laboratory, Dr. Steele operates within BSMS's neuroscience infrastructure with access to advanced electrophysiology facilities. His work integrates computational approaches through Eventer software development and maintains strong translational connections with Alzheimer's research charities, positioning his team at the intersection of basic electrophysiology and therapeutic development.