Anthony Schapira - Biography#

Professor Anthony Schapira’s research has focused on the causes and molecular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases. He has made major contributions providing important insights into the cause and molecular pathogenesis of inborn errors of mitochondrial metabolism and Parkinson disease (PD).

In 1989 he was the first to report abnormalities of mitochondrial function in PD brain and this is now accepted as a central feature that underlies neurodegeneration in this disorder. As a consequence of this discovery, several novel drugs targeting mitochondria are in development to slow the progression of PD.

Schapira’s work in helping to define the biochemical pathways underlying PD have also included the report of glucocerebrosidase deficiency in PD brain in 2012. His group’s research further supported the observed reciprocal relationship between glucocerebrosidase enzyme activity and the levels of brain alpha-synuclein. This work has resulted in the development of novel therapies to target the glucocerebrosidase pathway, several of which are now in Phase II or III clinical trial. Schapira himself has led research on re-purposing ambroxol, as a small molecule chaperone of glucocerebrosidase currently in trial as a disease-modifying drug for PD. If successful, this or similar drugs targeting the glucocerebrosidase pathway would be used to slow onset or prevent PD in GBA1 mutant carriers, and potentially to slow progression in all those with PD.

Schapira has published >470 peer-reviewed papers cited on PubMed, with an H-index of 109.

His current research remains focused on the molecular biological factors in the aetiology of PD, and includes the interplay of the microbiome and genetic factors in the cause of PD. Current active research grants of which he is Principal Investigator include:

2022 - 2029 Cure Parkinson’s Consortium US-UK: development of chaperone therapy to modify the course of Parkinson disease. £5,100,000

2022 - 2026 Michael J Fox Foundation: Gut MRI in prodromal and genetic Parkinson disease. £620,000

2021 - 2024 Michael J Fox Foundation (ASAP): Genotype-microbiome interactions in Parkinson disease. £6,400,000

2020 - 2024 MRC (JPND): GBA – personalised medicine for Parkinson disease: clinical and therapeutic stratification. £1,345,000