Race Against Dementia Fellow
University College London, UK
Dr Hung’s project investigates the role of autophagy, which is known as a cellular ‘garbage disposal’ system that remove and recycle damaged material to prevent the build-up of toxic waste within the cells. Dr Hung is investigating whether boosting this ‘garbage disposal’ system could present a new approach to prevent, halt or reverse the symptoms of the disease.
Dr Hung was born and raised in Hong Kong and became interested in neuroscience whilst doing her undergraduate final project looking at the neural tube development. She completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge, focusing on the transportation of proteins inside nerve cells. After two years of postdoctoral training at the Gurdon Institute in Cambridge. She joined UCL in 2019 as a Race Against Dementia Fellow.
“Formula 1 is famous for precision, innovation and taking a problem-solving approach. I try to apply this mind-set to my research. I believe in the power of research to change the future and to protect the next generation from the heartbreak and fear of dementia.”
Dr Christy Hung
Research summary
Dr Christy Hung is exploring how genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease disrupt the brain’s waste disposal system. The waste disposal process known as autophagy bags up misfolded proteins ready for destruction and recycling. Normally this goes on behind the scenes without any glitches, however, when there is too much protein building up, the cell’s waste disposal system can become overwhelmed.
