Owen A. Ross

Owen A. Ross, Ph.D., is a Professor of Neuroscience and a Consultant in the Department of Neuroscience at Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. He also holds the administrative appointment of Senior Associate Consultant II in the Department of Medical Genetics. He leads two major research laboratories: the Parkinson’s Disease Laboratory and the Stroke and Vascular Disease Laboratory, both focused on the genetics of aging and neurodegenerative disorders.

• Education:
  • Ph.D. in Genetics, University of Ulster
  • MMedSc in Laboratory Science, Genetics and Gerontology, Queen’s University, Belfast
  • BSc in Biochemistry (Honors), Queen’s University, Belfast

Dr. Ross’s research centers on the genetic mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and related neurodegenerative conditions. His work has been pivotal in characterizing the LRRK2 and SNCA genes, identifying functional risk factors in both familial and sporadic Parkinson’s disease, and discovering novel genes associated with movement disorders. His lab investigates mitochondrial DNA variation, immunogenetics, and neuroinflammation, with a strong emphasis on translational neuroscience and individualized medicine. Using high-throughput automation, RT-QuIC, and multi-omic bioinformatics, his team analyzes genetic and molecular data from global cohorts.

The recent research trends, as reflected in his latest publications, focus on polygenic risk scoring in Parkinson’s subtypes, transcriptomic distinctions between Lewy body disease and Alzheimer’s, mitochondrial genomics in aging, and novel genetic loci in multiple system atrophy and Pick’s disease. His work increasingly integrates iPSC models, organoids, and gut microbiome analysis to understand disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets.

Dr. Ross collaborates extensively with international researchers and is affiliated with key centers at Mayo Clinic, including the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging. He has published over 450 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact journals such as Brain, Nature Genetics, and Science Advances.

He actively mentors researchers and offers training opportunities in his laboratories. His leadership in large-scale consortia underscores his role in advancing collaborative neuroscience research.