Mohammad Mofatteh

University of Oxford

Dr. Mohammad Mofatteh graduated with a First-Class Honours degree in Biomedical Sciences from King’s College London in 2014. Subsequently, he accepted a prestigious PhD Scholarship from the University of Cambridge to conduct his doctorate research at the MRC-Laboratory of Molecular Biology. As a passionate lifelong learner, Dr. Mofatteh has also studied for a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of Sheffield, and a Master of Science (MSc) in Psychology from the University of Liverpool. Currently, Dr. Mofatteh is a BTG Junior Research Fellow in Biomedical Sciences at Lincoln College and Sir William Dunn School of Pathology at the University of Oxford in England. Dr. Mofatteh has used cutting-edge microscopy, genetics, cellular and biochemical techniques to investigate the mechanism of mRNA trafficking, post-transcriptional modifications, and local translation in neurons. Neurons establish intricate connections with other neurons and tissues to receive, process, and send vital information for survival of animals. The previous dominant belief in biology was that mRNAs were boring molecular copies to bridge the gap between the double helix of life, i.e. DNA, and the microscopic catalysts of life, i.e. proteins. With the advancements in pioneering imaging, sequencing, in vivo and in vitro cellular and biochemical techniques, he and his team have recently unraveled that mRNAs are not just simple messenger molecules; they are dynamic molecules with crucial roles in the life cycle of a neuron. mRNAs can be transported, modified, recycled, and translated under internal and external control. He is of the opinion that ‘Transcription is not just the end of the story, but the beginning of a new beginning!’