Biochemistry of lipids | Published on 22 January 2025
Today, Prof Maria Victoria Niklison Chirou from University of Bath (UK), held the fourth of a seires of Biochemical Talks, organisied by our PhD school.

Prof Nikloson current research focuses on the development of novel drugs for the treatment of childhood brain tumours. Dr Niklison currently works on medulloblastoma, a paediatric brain tumour and a major cause of mortality in children. She works to understand the chemical reactions that allow tumours to grow, trying to ascertain how the metabolism of medulloblastoma is regulated, and whether and how these tumours could be starved of essential components in order to strengthen the effect of chemotherapy given to patients. These tumours are malignant and patients have to undergo aggressive treatments leaving survivors with severe side effects. Hence, more targeted and less toxic therapies are vitally needed to improve the quality of life for patients.

Prof Nikloson presented new data from her lab showing the role of the lipid droplets and lipid metabolism in medulloblastoma.