I am a molecular neurobiologist interested in understanding ­the mechanisms that underlie aging and neurodegeneration. My work uses the power of Drosophila melanogaster genetics coupled with an array of molecular, cellular, behavioural, imaging and bioinformatics approaches to better understand the molecular processes that define normal aging and identify how these processes are altered in pathological aging and neurodegenerative diseases.

Molecular Biology | Animal models | Neurodegeneration |Aging | Alzheimer's Disease

We are interested in understanding selective vulnerability of neurons to pathogenic proteins such as the tangle-forming protein, tau, in Alzheimer's Disease.  This involves characterising neuronal vulnerability to tau variants and identifying genes that may mediate vulnerability or resistance to tau. 

2025

• PublishedAre we missing a trick by not exploiting fruit flies in inflammation-led drug discovery for neurodegeneration?
  Price, R., Ramirez-Moreno, M., Cooper, A., Singh, R., Khaw, Y. M., Mhaka, A. M., Sivanantharajah, L. & Mudher, A., 3 Jun 2025, In: Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 20, 6, p. 721-734 14 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedExamining the vulnerability of adult neuron subtypes to tau-mediated toxicity in Drosophila
  Sivanantharajah, L., Mudher, A. & Shepherd, D., 5 Apr 2025, In: Translational Psychiatry. 15, 127.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2023

• PublishedTau-mediated axonal degeneration is prevented by activation of the WldS pathway
  Stubbs, K., Batchelor, B., Sivanantharajah, L., Sealey, M., Ramirez-Moreno, M., Ruiz, E., Richardson, B., Perry, V. H., Newman, T. A. & Mudher, A., Apr 2023, In: Brain Communications. 5, 2, fcad052.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2022

• PublishedCurcumin as a Holistic Treatment for Tau Pathology
  Sivanantharajah, L. & Mudher, A., 19 May 2022, In: Frontiers in Pharmacology. 13, 903119.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2019

• PublishedAn evaluation of Drosophila as a model system for studying tauopathies such as Alzheimer's disease
  Sivanantharajah, L., Mudher, A. & Shepherd, D., 1 May 2019, In: Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 319, May, p. 77-88 12 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2015

• PublishedCurrent techniques for high-resolution mapping of behavioral circuits in Drosophila
  Sivanantharajah, L. & Zhang, B., Sept 2015, In: Journal of Comparative Physiology A: Neuroethology, Sensory, Neural, and Behavioral Physiology. 201, 9, p. 895-909 15 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
• PublishedDifferential pleiotropy and HOX functional organization
  Sivanantharajah, L. & Percival-Smith, A., 1 Feb 2015, In: Development Biology. 398, 1, p. 1-10 10 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

2014

• PublishedAcquisition of a Leucine Zipper Motif as a Mechanism of Antimorphy for an Allele of the Drosophila Hox Gene Sex Combs Reduced
  Sivanantharajah, L. & Percival-Smith, A., 1 May 2014, In: G3: Genes, Genomes, Genetics. 4, 5, p. 829-838
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2013

• PublishedDevelopmental competence and the induction of ectopic proboscises in Drosophila melanogaster
  Percival-Smith, A., Sivanantharajah, L., Pelling, J. J. H. & Teft, W. A., Nov 2013, In: Development genes and evolution. 223, 6, p. 375-387 13 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2009

• PublishedAnalysis of the sequence and phenotype of Drosophila Sex combs reduced alleles reveals potential functions of conserved protein motifs of the Sex combs reduced protein
  Sivanantharajah, L. & Percival-Smith, A., 1 May 2009, In: Genetics. 182, 1, p. 191-203 13 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2025

• Neuronal subtypes in the adult Drosophila brain are differentially vulnerable to tau-mediated toxicity

  Platform Session: Disease Models

  Oral Presentation

  20 Jun 2025

  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)

2024

• Using the fruit fly for research @ Darganfod Discover 2024 (Wrexham's Science Festival)

  Outreach event at which we will showcase the use of the fruit fly for research at the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) booth at the Wrexam Science Festival.

  4 Aug 2024

  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)
• Southwest Fly Meeting at Bristol University

  Talk entitled "Understanding the nature of selective neuronal vulnerability to tau-mediated toxicity"

  26 Jun 2024

  Links:

  • https://www.bristol.ac.uk/phys-pharm-neuro/events/fly-meetings/
  Activity: Oral presentation (Speaker)
• Alzheimer's Research UK Research Conference

  The UK’s largest dementia research conference taking place at the ACC in Liverpool Alzheimer’s Research UK Conference provides a fantastic chance to gain insights from colleagues working across basic, translational and clinical dementia research.

  20 Mar 2024 – 21 Mar 2024

  Links:

  • https://www.alzheimersresearchuk.org/research/for-researchers/research-conference/
  Activity: Participation in Academic conference (Speaker)
• Wrexham Science Festival (Darganfod Discover 2024)

  2024

  Activity: Types of Public engagement and outreach - Media article or participation (Contributor)

• Identifying molecular mechanisms in differential vulnerability of neurons to tau-mediated toxicity

  01/06/2022 – 30/06/2026 (Active)

• HEFCW HEIR COVID extension to Charities bid (R35C40, F006505)

  01/04/2021 – 31/10/2021 (Finished)

• Understanding the basis for selective vulnerability of differentneuronal populations

  12/01/2017 – 31/07/2023 (Finished)