Ella Jade Richardson

PhD thesis: Development of a Biohybrid Therapy for Regeneration of Neural Circuitry in Parkinson’s Disease

My doctoral research aims to engineer a new therapy for Parkinson’s disease: a biohybrid medical device that combines stem cell therapy with microelectrodes. The device is designed not only to regenerate neural circuits damaged by Parkinson’s but also to restore their function. This work is crucial because current treatments, such as deep brain stimulation, only alleviate symptoms, while pioneering stem cell therapies struggle to survive and integrate into the brain, limiting their regenerative potential. By developing this biohybrid device and optimising the survival and integration of therapeutic cells within existing networks, I aim to help engineer the next generation of Parkinson’s therapeutics.

Who or what inspired you to pursue your research interests?

My path into this research has been shaped by a love of combining diverse fields and perspectives. I first worked in biomedicine and nanoelectronics manufacturing, before moving into computational neuroscience. Working across disciplines showed me the power of uniting engineering, biology, and computation to solve complex problems. During my Neuroscience Master’s at Cambridge, I studied how neuronal networks form and connect during early development. This inspired me to ask whether the same principles could be applied to engineer brain network growth for regenerative therapies. Drawing together my experiences, I am motivated to design technologies that actively guide neural circuit repair.