Professor Jerry Turnbull is head of the department of Biochemistry and Cell Biology at the Institute of Integrative Biology. His research is focused on the role of a family of long chain sugars called Heparan Sulphates (HS) in the developments of potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
A recent study from the team, in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, revealed the potential of new methods for enhancing nerve repair in the treatment of spinal cord injuries.
Professor Turnbull’s work on long chain sugars has led to a spin-out company, IntelliHep Ltd, which was founded to explore the commercial opportunities of developing engineering heparans as new drugs against these important medical conditions.