Our next lecture in the series is with Francesco Saverio Tedesco, group leader for the Stem Cells and Neuromuscular Regeneration Laboratory. Neuromuscular and musculoskeletal conditions are a major cause of disability worldwide. A key example is muscular dystrophy: a group of genetic diseases characterised by severe muscle wasting, impaired mobility, and reduction of quality of life. There are limited treatments available for muscular dystrophies but despite intense research there is not yet a cure. Francesco Saverio Tedesco’s lab at the Crick harnesses the regenerative potential of muscle stem cells to create innovative models to study and develop therapies for muscular dystrophies. His talk will highlight the challenges faced by researchers developing treatments for muscle disorders, and the opportunities provided by novel technologies to create models “in a dish” to overcome those limitations.
The talk will be followed by a Q&A session, where Saverio will be happy to answer any audience questions.
There will also be representatives from Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK), the leading charity in the UK supporting people with muscle wasting and weakening conditions, in attendance at the talk and available for questions. MDUK support over 110,000 people living with one of over 60 muscle wasting and weakening conditions, fund groundbreaking research, work with the NHS towards universal access to specialist healthcare and campaign for people’s rights, better understanding, accessibility, and access to treatment.
About Saverio
Saverio is a clinician-scientist with over 20 years of experience in neuromuscular diseases, muscle regeneration and disease modelling. He graduated in medicine at the Sapienza University of Rome, studying muscle stem cell biology at the Institute Pasteur in Paris. He was then awarded his PhD at the San Raffaele Scientific Institute of Milan and completed his clinical specialty training in London. Saverio is a Crick Senior Group Leader, Professor of Neuromuscular Biology and Regenerative Medicine at UCL and Honorary Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children. Outside the lab, Saverio usually chases his two young children and, when they allow, he enjoys rock climbing, cycling and collecting vinyl records.
