PhD (Dr rer. nat.), Dipl. Biol., FRSB
Chair in Translational Neuroscience
- About
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- Email Address
- b.platt@abdn.ac.uk
- Telephone Number
- +44 (0)1224 437402
- Office Address
Room 6.28; School of Medicine, Medical Sciences & Nutrition University of Aberdeen Institute of Medical Sciences Foresterhill ABERDEEN AB25 2ZD Scotland, UK
- School/Department
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
Biography
Bettina Platt graduated with distinction from the University of Mainz, Germany and received her PhD from the University of Düsseldorf, Germany. After completing a prestigious personal European Fellowship at the University of Leeds, Prof Platt joined the University of Aberdeen in 1997, initially within the Department of Biomedical Sciences. Since 2009, Prof Platt holds the Chair in Translational Neuroscience within the School of Medical Sciences. She heads a multi-disciplinary research team that investigates aspects of brain function and malfunction from the single molecule to the systems level. Prof Platt has acted as Research Director for a number of large research initiatives, some of which were co-funded by the pharmaceutical industry and the Scottish government. Her national and international collaborations have brought together novel research strategies, technologies and disciplines such as imaging, drug discovery, electronics, and computer science. Prof Platt is a Fellow of the Society of Biology and a founding member of the Scottish Dementia Research Consortium (SDRC). Additionally, Prof Platt was a member of the SDRC executive board until 2016 and previously sat on the Alzheimer’s Society funding board. She currently is a member of the Scottish Alzheimer Research UK (ARUK) network board, and the ARUK Scientific Advisory Board.
External Memberships
Executive Board member, Scottish Dementia Research Consortium
North-East of Scotland Alzheimer Research UK (ARUK) network coordinator (preclinical)
Member of the ARUK Scientific Advisory Board
Alzheimer’s Society Grant Advisory Board.
Editorial Advisory Board, Recent Patents on CNS Drug Discovery
Latest Publications
Advanced qEEG analyses discriminate between dementia subtypes
Journal of Neuroscience Methods, vol. 409, 110195Contributions to Journals: ArticlesComparison of automated video tracking systems in the open field test: ANY-Maze versus EthoVision XT
Journal of Neuroscience Methods, vol. 397, 109940Contributions to Journals: ArticlesHow stra(i)nge are your controls?: A comparative analysis of metabolic phenotypes in commonly used C57BL/6 substrains
PloS ONE, vol. 18, no. 8, e0289472Contributions to Journals: ArticlesBACE cleavage of APP does not drive the diabetic phenotype of PLB4 mice
Neurobiology of Disease, vol. 182, 106142Contributions to Journals: ArticlesNeurochemical, histological and behavioral profiling of the acute, sub-acute and chronic MPTP mouse model of Parkinson’s disease
Journal of Neurochemistry, vol. 164, no. 2, pp. 121-142Contributions to Journals: Articles
- Research
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Research Overview
Research interests: Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, mechanisms of neuronal plasticity, neurodegeneration and neuroprotection.
The amazing ability of the nervous system to learn and adapt to changing conditions forms the basis of our cognitive and intellectual abilities as humans, and how crucially we depend on this is demonstrated in patients suffering from neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD).
We are currently combining various procedures, from standard histology and immunocytochemistry, to cell death essays and more functional techniques based on electrophysiological and imaging techniques, as well as behavioural studies. Latest developments include the use of EEG recordings, and PET/CT applications. Together, we cover aspects from the systems to the single cell level, and even to single receptors / channels, for disease target identification, drug development and testing within the sector of CNS diseases.
The main projects currently under investigation can be summarised as follows:
1) Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegeneration: causes, biomarkers and treatments.
2) Mechanisms of neuronal plasticity.
3) Therapeutics in CNS disorders.
4) Translational technologies.
Research Areas
Accepting PhDs
I am currently accepting PhDs in Biomedical Sciences.
Please get in touch if you would like to discuss your research ideas further.
Research Specialisms
- Biomedical Sciences
- Neuroscience
- Animal Physiology
- Dementia Studies
Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
Current Research
Alzheimer's disease, FTD, dementia, cognition, neurodegeneration, neurotoxicity, neuroprotection, neuronal plasticity, EEG, imaging, Ca signalling, plasticity.
Techniques and Skills:
- Models of dementia: transgenic, pharmacological & viral models in vivo and in vitro (beta amyloid, tau, PS1, BACE; single / double & triple combinations; siRNA).
- Drug discovery
- Translational Technologies
- In vitro electrophysiological recording techniques in brain slices, neuronal cultures, and isolated neurones (patch-clamping and field recordings).
- In vivo electrophysiological recordings (evoked potentials and EEG recordings (wireless).
- In vivo imaging (PET/CT & MRI)
- Behavioural assessments (Cognition & Phenotyper).
- Immunocytochemical and histological techniques, ELISAs, Western Blots.
- Confocal / fluorescent microscopy.
- Time-lapse imaging
- Cell culture, brain slice, cell lines
- Assays for cell death / neuroprotection / viability
Collaborations
1) Within Aberdeen University:
Prof Gernot Riedel (animal models / behaviour); Prof Roger Pertwee (cannabinoids); Prof Matteo Zanda (novel PET ligands); Dr Rod Scott & Prof Marcel Jaspars (natural toxins and cell transfection); Dr Derryck Shewan (neurite outgrowth / time lapse); Prof Andy Welch (PET/CT); Dr Hugh Seton (MRI); Dr Thiel, Dr Schelter & Prof Grebogi (Computer Science & Modelling); Dr Delibegovic & Dr Mody (phosphatases; diabetes and AD)
2) External Collaborators:
Prof Peer Wulff (viral strategies); Prof Jim Austin (University of York): EEG and image analyses, data sharing; Prof. Thanos Salifoglou (University of Crete, Greece): Aluminium speciation and toxicity; Prof. J. Micheau (Univ. Bordeaux II): CREB and hippocampal function, cell transfection, siRNA; Dr. Grazina Niewadomska (Univ. Warsaw, Poland): Tau pathology; Dr K. Bruce (U Penn., USA) and Dr Neel (U Ontario): Phosphatase knock-out mice.
3) Industry-based collaborators
Dr Karsten Wicke (Abbott / AbbVie), B Cruts (BrainMarker, The Netherlands), Dr Hong Wan (Pfizer), J McAvoy (Cybula) and Prof Hugh Marston (Lilly).
- Teaching
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Teaching Responsibilities
Course co-ordinator for AN4002/AN4003 (Brain function & malfunction)
- Publications
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Sometimes you see them, sometimes you don't: IPSCs in the rat superficial superior colliculus
Experimental Brain Research, vol. 149, no. 3, pp. 331-339Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-002-1368-2
Characterisation of rat superficial superior colliculus neurones: firing properties and sensitivity to GABA
Neuroscience, vol. 110, no. 1, pp. 93-104Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4522(01)00558-9
Gamma-aminobutyric acid-induced calcium signalling in rat superior collicular neurones
Neuroscience Letters, vol. 334, no. 2, pp. 79-82Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3940(02)01059-5
Long-term study of chronic oral aluminum exposure and spatial working memory in rats
Behavioral Neuroscience, vol. 116, no. 2, pp. 351-356Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0735-7044.116.2.351
No spatial working memory deficit in beta-amyloid-exposed rats. A longitudinal study
Progress in Neuro -Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 955-970Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0278-5846(02)00211-7
Aluminium toxicity in the rat brain: histochemical and immunocytochemical evidence
Brain Research Bulletin, vol. 55, no. 2, pp. 257-267Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0361-9230(01)00511-1
Ionic mechanisms of GABA-induced long-term potentiation in the rat superior colliculus
Experimental Brain Research, vol. 140, no. 4, pp. 486-494Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s002210100854
Postnatal alterations of GABA receptor profiles in the rat superior colliculus
Neuroscience, vol. 104, no. 2, pp. 441-454Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-4522(01)00087-2
Age- and species-dependent maturation of synaptic transmission in the superficial superior colliculus
European Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 12, pp. 3155-3162Contributions to Journals: ArticlesFear conditioning-induced time- and subregion-specific increase in expression of mGlu5 receptor protein in rat hippocampus
Neuropharmacology, vol. 39, pp. 1943-1951Contributions to Journals: ArticlesBiochemical dysfunction and memory loss: the case of Alzheimer's dementia
Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, vol. 55, no. 4, pp. 601-616Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s000180050318
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Glycine induces a novel form of long-term potentiation in the superficial layers of the superior colliculus
British Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 125, no. 2, pp. 293-300Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bjp.0702062
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
GABA-induced long-term potentiation in the guinea-pig superior colliculus
Neuropharmacology, vol. 37, no. 9, pp. 1111-1122Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0028-3908(98)00100-2
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Analysis of the superior colliculus auditory space map function in guinea pig behavior
Neuroscience Research Communications, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 23-40Contributions to Journals: ArticlesPaired-pulse depression in the superficial layers of the guinea-pig superior colliculus
Brain Research, vol. 777, no. 1-2, pp. 131-139Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0006-8993(97)01107-4
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus