Maina's Group

Research Overview

The Maina Lab investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease and related tauopathies, with a particular focus on the mechanisms of amyloid-beta toxicity and the unconventional roles of tau in the nucleus. Our work has identified nucleolar dysfunction and rDNA dysregulation as key early events in tau-mediated neurodegeneration. Building on these mechanistic insights, the lab now focuses on how genetic ancestry shapes core pathways of neurodegeneration. However, progress in this area has been constrained by especially the underrepresentation of African populations and the absence of locally derived experimental models. To address this, we integrate induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models derived from indigenous African populations with deeply characterised dementia cohorts in Northern Nigeria. This approach enables the discovery of ancestry-linked mechanisms of disease risk and resilience, with the goal of informing globally relevant therapeutic strategies.

Key Research Questions

1. What are the early molecular events that drive tau-mediated neurodegeneration? We investigate how tau dysfunction alters nuclear and nucleolar processes, including rDNA transcription, nucleolar structure, and cellular stress responses, and how these changes contribute to neuronal vulnerability.
2. How does amyloid beta toxicity initiate and interact with downstream neurodegenerative pathways? We examine the role of amyloid beta self-assembly in driving cellular toxicity and its interaction with tau-mediated mechanisms.
3. How does genetic ancestry influence neurodegenerative disease mechanisms? Using iPSC models derived from different populations, alongside well-characterised clinical cohorts, we explore how ancestry shapes molecular pathways of risk and resilience in dementia.

Research Approaches / Technologies

• Human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models
• Genome editing and functional genetics
• Molecular and cellular neuroscience assays
• High-content imaging and quantitative microscopy
• Transcriptomic and genomic analyses
• Integration with clinical and population-based cohort data

Collaboration

The Maina Lab has ongoing academic and clinical partnerships in Nigeria and across Africa, UK, USA and Europe, spanning neurodegeneration, genomics, iPSC biology, and dementia cohort development. Researchers with shared interests are welcome to explore collaborative or visiting opportunities.