University of Tasmania, Australia

PhD Candidate

BSc(Hons)

Biography

Mrs Eaton completed a Bachelor of Science in 2006 with majors in chemistry and biochemistry. Her interest in the health sciences led her to honours in medical research with the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania in 2007. Her project was undertaken with the Muscle Research Group and her thesis topic was Ultrasound Mediated Microbubble Destruction as a Method of Endothelial Transfection. Mrs Eaton then went on to work as a research assistant with the Neurorepair group, where she worked on the metal-binding protein metallothionein and its potential therapeutic value in neurodegenerative disorders and brain injury. She is currently undertaking her PhD, investigating potential new therapeutics for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Research Interests

Mrs Eaton's research focuses on synthetic peptides modelled on the metallothionein protein. Metallothionein is a protein found in the brain in both normal and diseased states which has demonstrated neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties. The synthetic peptides, termed emtins, have shown protective properties similar to those exhibited by metallothionein and therefore represent a potential therapeutic for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease. Her research aims to determine the potential of these emtins to act in a neuroprotective manner in Alzheimer’s disease.

Research Projects and Roles

• PhD candidate, potential therapeutics in Alzheimer's disease