Sharon A. Tooze

Sharon A. Tooze is a Principal Group Leader at The Francis Crick Institute (2015–current), following leadership roles at Cancer Research UK (2002–2015), Imperial Cancer Research Fund (1993–2002), and EMBL (1990–1993). Her work focuses on autophagy, vesicular trafficking, and organelle biogenesis, with significant contributions to understanding autophagosome formation and lysosomal repair mechanisms.

Dr. Tooze earned her PhD from the University of Heidelberg (1987) and completed postdoctoral training at EMBL under Prof. W.E. Huttner (1987–1990). She has held advisory roles on panels such as the Research Council of Norway, ERC Synergy (2020 LS Panel Chair), and the Darwin Trust of Edinburgh.

Her research explores molecular pathways in autophagy, including ATG9A interactions, membrane dynamics, and lipid regulation. Google Scholar citations (h-index 81) highlight her innovations in autophagy assays and therapeutic applications in diseases like cancer and neurodegeneration.

Key awards include the ERC Advanced Grant (2017), EMBO Membership (2010), and founding Women in Autophagy (2020). She has organized over 15 conferences (EMBO, Gordon, Keystone) and mentored initiatives like LIBRA and SUSTAIN for gender equity in science.

Dr. Tooze’s lab at The Crick Institute investigates autophagy’s role in health and disease, with a focus on membrane trafficking, lipid regulation, and therapeutic targeting in RAS-driven cancers.