Dr Mariya Moosajee
Mariya Moosajee graduated from Imperial College London with First Class Honours in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics in 2000, and Medicine (MBBS) in 2003. After completing her core medical and surgical training, she returned to Imperial College London to embark on her PhD in Molecular Ophthalmology, awarded in 2009.
During her investigation into the molecular defects of optic fissure morphogenesis and novel therapeutic approaches for genetic eye disease she was awarded eight national and international prizes. In 2009, she was presented the Foulds Trophy by the Royal College of Ophthalmologists, considered the most prestigious UK Ophthalmology Research Prize, and the European Paediatric Ophthalmological Society Award for Young Scientists.
Dr Moosajee is currently a Specialist Registrar at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, and continues her research interests as an Honorary Research Fellow at Imperial College London and the Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL.
Summary of research interests
- Molecular genetics of inherited eye disease, in particular retinal dystrophies and congenital eye defects such as ocular coloboma.
- The development of novel therapeutic approaches for genetic eye disease, including anti-apoptotic agents and gene therapy using non-viral gene delivery systems.
Selected Publications
Journals
- Moosajee M; Gregory-Evans CY. (Dec 2006). Advances in the molecular genetics of ocular coloboma. Expert Review of Ophthalmology. 1:209-227. DOI.
- Guerin K; Gregory-Evans CY; Hodges MD; Moosajee M; Mackay DS; Gregory-Evans K; Flannery JG. (1 Sep 2008). Systemic aminoglycoside treatment in rodent models of retinitis pigmentosa. EXPERIMENTAL EYE RESEARCH. 87:197-207. Author weblink DOI.
- Moosajee M; Gregory-Evans K; Ellis CD; Seabra MC; Gregory-Evans CY. (15 Dec 2008). Translational bypass of nonsense mutations in zebrafish rep1, pax2.1 and lamb1 highlights a viable therapeutic option for untreatable genetic eye disease. Hum Mol Genet. 17:3987-4000. Author weblink DOI.
- Blackburn J; Tarttelin EE; Gregory-Evans CY; Moosajee M; Gregory-Evans K. (1 Nov 2003). Transcriptional regulation and expression of the dominant drusen gene FBLN3 (EFEMP1) in mammalian retina. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE. 44:4613-4621. Author weblink DOI.
- Moosajee M; Tulloch M; Baron RA; Gregory-Evans CY; Pereira-Leal JB; Seabra MC. (Jun 2009). Single choroideremia gene in nonmammalian vertebrates explains early embryonic lethality of the zebrafish model of choroideremia. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 50:3009-3016. Author weblink DOI.
- Gregory-Evans, CY; Moosajee, M; Hodges, MD; Mackay, DS; Game, L; Vargesson, N; Bloch-Zupan, A; Ruschendorf, F; et alSantos-Pinto, L; Wackens, G; Gregory-Evans, K. Davies PK (ed). (2007). SNP genome scanning localises oto-dental syndrome to chromosome 11q13 and microdeletions at this locus implicate FGF3 in dental and inner ear disease and FADD in ocular coloboma. Human Molecular Genetics. 16:2482-2493.
Conferences
- Moosajee M; Gregory-Evans C. Anti-apoptotic agents can reduce deleterious levels of cell death causing ocular coloboma in the lamb1 zebrafish model leading to milder ocular phenotypes. 19th Mammalian Genetics and Development Workshop of the Genetics-Society, 20 Nov 2008 - 21 Nov 2008. 91:138-139. CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS (1 Apr 2009). Author weblink.
