Neurosteroids and Brain Function

Professor Peter Jenner is a specialist in preclinical aspects of neurodegenerative diseases, notably Parkinson’s disease. He has spent the major part of his career at King’s College London where he was Head of Pharmacology for 14 years before returning to his research roots and subsequently becoming Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology. Peter has expertise in drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics but neuropharmacology based on functional models of neurodegenerative diseases has formed the major focus of his work. Peter holds a BPharm, PhD and DSc degree from the University of London. He has published well over 1000 articles with more than 700 peer reviewed papers. He is a Fellow of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, the British Pharmacological Society, the Royal Society of Medicine and of King’s College London. Peter was recently honoured with a Doctor Honoris Causa degree from Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest and made an Honorary Fellow of The British Pharmacological Society for his contribution to research in to movement disorders.Peter has worked closely with the pharmaceutical industry for many years and acts as an adviser and consultant to both major pharma and biotech companies. He has a wide knowledge of the drug discovery and drug development process and has been involved from molecule synthesis through to drug registration for use in man. Peter was the Founder, Director and Chief Scientific Officer of Proximagen, a biotech focussed on the treatment and cure of neurodegenerative diseases that was listed on AIMs and subsequently purchased by a US based healthcare company. He is a regular speaker at international meetings and also takes time to speak at Parkinson’s disease patient-carer groups across the UK.

• Neurosteroids: (Beginning of) The Story.Biosynthesis of Neurosteroids and Regulation of their Synthesis.Neurosteroid 7-hydroxylation Products in Brain.Analysis of neurosteroids.Role of Peripheral-Type Benzodiazepine Receptors in Adrenal and Brain Steroidogenesis.Formation and Effects of Neuroactive Steroids in the Central and Peripheral Nervous System.Neurosteroids and GABAA receptor function.GABAA Receptor Plasticity During Long-Term Exposure to and Withdrawal From Progesterone.Stress and Neuroactive Steroids.Neurosteroids in learning and memory processes.Neurosteroids and behaviour.Ethanol and Neurosteroid Interactions in Brain.Preclinical Development of Neurosteroids as Neuroprotective Agents for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases.Clinical Implications of Circulating Neurosteroids.Neuroactive Steroids and CNS Disorders.Neuroactive Steroids in Neuropsychopharmacology.Neurosteroids in the pharmacology and physiopathology of depression