Leanne Jiang
Research Profile
Leanne Jiang was a PhD candidate based at the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science and undertook a collaborative research project at the AIBN, at the University of Queensland, for the duration of 2021.

Leanne’s PhD focused on understanding the genetic and cellular mechanisms of mitochondria in motor neuron disease (MND), and subsequently developing a personalised therapeutic for a patient with MND. It is established that mitochondrial dysfunction may be a leading mechanism of cell death in MND patients. Leanne grew patient skin cells and differentiated them to induced pluripotent stem cells, and then directed them into motor neurons as a model for each patient and the disease. She used these motor neurons to investigate the dynamic relationships of mitochondria and understand their implication in motor neuron death. These cell models were used as a tool to identify the efficacy of a novel antisense oligonucleotide therapeutic to amend a genetic mutation causing MND.
Awards and Achievements: 2020 ANS 3MT First Prize, 2020 Ken and Julie Michael Convocation Travel Award, 2020 UWA Excellence in Teaching, 2020 Perron Institute 3MT First Prize, 2018 ANS Travel Award, 2018 NRP Travel Award. Collaborations: Ngo Group (Brisbane, Australia), ALSUntangled (International Review Group), MND Palliative Care Review (Australia); Founding member and scientific advisor for TEDxUWA.
Supervisors
A/Prof. Jennifer Rodger, Prof. Anthony Akkari, E/Prof. Alan Harvey, C/Prof. Merrilee Needham and Dr. Shyuan Ngo
Contact
Keywords: Motor neuron disease | mitochondria | iPSC | genetics | antisense oligonucleotide therapeutics