Professor Karen Anthony

Karen studied biochemistry at the University of Leeds spending one year as a sandwich student at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Essex.  At GSK Karen experienced the drug discovery process through performing large-scale purifications of protein drug targets.  Developing a strong interest in neurodegeneration Karen joined the lab of Dr Jean-Marc Gallo at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.  Her PhD “tau RNA processing in neurodegeneration: trans-acting factors regulating alternative splicing and mRNA localisation” was awarded in 2009.  As a post-doc in Dr Gallo’s lab Karen established proof-of-concept for RNA reprogramming strategies including RNA trans-splicing therapies for spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and the tauopathies.  In 2010 Karen successfully translated her RNA expertise to the neuromuscular field and moved to the Dubowitz Neuromuscular Centre, Institute of Child Health, University College London (UCL).  Working with Professor Francesco Muntoni, Karen played a key role in developing antisense oligonucleotide-mediated exon skipping as a therapeutic strategy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).  Her pre-clinical and clinical work in this area culminated in the first FDA-approved drug for DMD.  In 2015 Karen attained a lectureship at the University of Northampton where she founded and leads the Molecular Biosciences Research Group.  Her laboratory investigates the molecular mechanisms of neurological disorders with a focus on the neuropathophysiology of DMD.  Karen also consults for international pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on methodology for clinical trial biochemical outcome measures and the development of exon skipping and trans-splicing therapies.  She is currently leading the the proof-of-concept and pre-clinical development of innovative trans-splicing applications for rare diseases.  

Karen’s research is focused on RNA processing and the pre-clinical development of RNA therapeutics (exon skipping and trans-splicing) for rare neurological diseases.  Current research projects and interests include:

-Neuropathophysiology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

-The role of the DMD gene in cancer

-RNA processing of the dystrophin gene

-Therapeutic targeting of dystrophin in the brain

-RNA processing in neurodegeneration

-RNA-based gene therapy/therapeutics

-Spinocerebellar ataxia

-Trans-splicing

Undergraduate teaching:

Karen teaches across the BSc (Hons) in Biological Science, Biochemistry, Pharmacology and Biomedical Science programmes:

Module Leader:

• SLS3010: Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience

Teaching on other modules:

• SLS2001: Genes and Genomics
• SLS2013: Bioscience Research Methods

Postgraduate teaching (taught programmes) 

• MSc in Molecular Medicine