Dr Maria Stavrou

Maria graduated from University College London (UCL) with distinction in clinical sciences and yearly undergraduate prizes. Her IBSc at the Wolfson Institute of Biomedical Research at UCL stimulated her understanding in brain computation. She achieved First-Class honours and was nominated for the prestigious physiology Schafer prize. Maria completed her foundation and core medical training years in competitive posts at UCL and Cambridge University Hospitals and is currently a neurology trainee in Edinburgh. During her clinical training, she was awarded national prizes for Clinical Excellence and Teaching that consolidate her work ethic and professionalism.

In parallel to fulfilling her permanent clinical duties, Maria dedicated a significant portion of time in research on 'probing the role of the cerebellum in fear learning' at the Neural Computational Laboratory at UCL under the supervision of Prof. Hausser. In 2017, she was awarded a Rowling Scholarship, which was followed by an MRC Clinical Training Fellowship.

Maria completed her PhD in 2024, supervised by Profs Siddharthan Chandran and Giles Hardingham. Working with cells growing in dishes in the lab, she studied the interactions between nerve cells and a type of supporting cell in the brain called astrocytes. She identified a new way in which astrocytes control the transport of cellular materials along nerves. This transport mechanism is defective in MND. She has promising early results that boosting the astrocytes’ mitochondria (the “batteries” or “power-houses” of the cell) might reduce the transport defect.

Maria has resumed clinical duties in NHS Lothian and will shortly become a consultant. Her aim is to secure a postdoctoral fellowship to continue her laboratory research.

Related links

PhD success for Rowling Scholar [news article, August 2024]