Dr Christopher Webster

School of Medicine and Population Health

SITraN Fellow

Christopher Webster
Christopher Webster
Profile picture of Christopher Webster
c.p.webster@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 22240
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)

Full contact details

Dr Christopher Webster
School of Medicine and Population Health
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN)
385a Glossop Road
Sheffield
S10 2HQ
Profile

2025 – Present: SITraN Fellow and MND Association Funded Principal Investigator, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

2022 – 2025: ARDAT funded Postdoctoral Research Associate, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

2019 – 2022: ARUK funded Postdoctoral Research Associate, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

2016 – 2019: Alzheimer’s Society funded Postdoctoral Research Associate and Co-investigator, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

2012 – 2016: PhD (Neuroscience), Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK

2008 – 2011: 1st Class BSc Hons (Biochemistry and Genetics), University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

Research interests

My research focusses on understanding disease mechanisms in several neurodegenerative disorders, including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) and Hereditary Spastic Paraplagias (HSPs). Using this mechanistic understanding, and gene therapy expertise acquired in the laboratory of Professor Mimoun Azzouz, I aim to develop novel gene therapy based therapeutic approaches to these neurodegenerative diseases.

My research has had a particular focus on C9orf72-related ALS and FTD, with specific attention given to the function of the C9orf72 protein. A hexanucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the C9orf72 gene is the most common genetic cause of both ALS and FTD. The pathogenic mechanism behind this repeat expansion is complex, but there is evidence that both loss and toxic gain-of-function mechanisms are involved. 

Publications

Journal articles

  • Webster CP, Hall B, Crossley OM, Dauletalina D, King M, Lin Y-H, Castelli LM, Yang Z-L, Coldicott I, Kyrgiou-Balli E , Higginbottom A et al (2025) . Life Science Alliance, 8(2).
  • Wiseman JP, Scarrott JM, Alves-Cruzeiro J, Saffari A, Böger C, Karyka E, Dawes E, Davies AK, Marchi PM, Graves E , Fernandes F et al (2024) . EMBO Molecular Medicine, 16(11), 2882-2917.
  • Vrellaku B, Sethw Hassan I, Howitt R, Webster CP, Harriss E, McBlane F, Betts C, Schettini J, Lion M, Mindur JE , Duerr M et al (2024) . Molecular Therapy, 32(10), 3220-3259.
  • Mendonça L, Webster C, Boltze J & Nóbrega C (2023) . Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 16.
  • Scarrott JM, Alves-Cruzeiro J, Marchi PM, Webster CP, Yang Z-L, Karyka E, Marroccella R, Coldicott I, Thomas H & Azzouz M (2023) . Brain Communications, 5(1).
  • Bauer CS, Webster CP, Shaw AC, Kok JR, Castelli LM, Lin Y-H, Smith EF, Illanes-Álvarez F, Higginbottom A, Shaw PJ , Azzouz M et al (2022) . Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 16.
  • Bauer CS, Cohen RN, Sironi F, Livesey MR, Gillingwater TH, Highley JR, Fillingham DJ, Coldicott I, Smith EF, Gibson YB , Webster CP et al (2022) . Acta Neuropathologica, 144(3), 437-464.
  • Marchi PM, Marrone L, Brasseur L, Coens A, Webster CP, Bousset L, Destro M, Smith EF, Walther CG, Alfred V , Marroccella R et al (2022) . Life Science Alliance, 5(9).
  • Karyka E, Berrueta Ramirez N, Webster CP, Marchi PM, Graves EJ, Godena VK, Marrone L, Bhargava A, Ray S, Ning K , Crane H et al (2022) . Life Science Alliance, 5(8).
  • Marrone L, Marchi PM, Webster CP, Marroccella R, Coldicott I, Reynolds S, Alves-Cruzeiro J, Yang Z-L, Higginbottom A, Khundadze M , Shaw PJ et al (2022) . Human Molecular Genetics, 31(16), 2693-2710.
  • Alves-Cruzeiro J, Webster CP & Azzouz M (2019) . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 116(37), 18162-18164.
  • Allen S, Hall B, Castelli L, Francis L, Woof R, Siskos A, Kouloura E, Gray E, Thompson A, Talbot K , Higginbottom A et al (2019) . Brain, 142(3), 586-605.
  • Webster CP, Smith EF, Grierson AJ & De Vos K (2018) . Small GTPases, 9(5).
  • Moller A, Bauer CS, Cohen RN, Webster CP & De Vos KJ (2017) . Human Molecular Genetics, 26(23), 4668-4679.
  • Webster C, Smith E, Shaw P & De Vos K (2017) . Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience, 10.
  • Higginbottom A (2016) . EMBO Journal.

Conference proceedings

  • Wiseman J, Alves-Cruzeiro J, Scarrott JM, Karyka E, Marchi PM, Graves E, Webster CP, Yang Z, Coldicott I, Dawes E , Shaw PJ et al (2024) AAV9-mediated gene replacement therapy for spastic paraplegia 47. Human Gene Therapy, Vol. 35(3-4) (pp A181-A182). Brussels, Belgium, 24 October 2023 - 24 October 2023.
  • Webster CP, Crossley OM, Yang ZL, Coldicott I, King MC, Souza CDS, Ferraiuolo L & Azzouz M (2022) Gene-based therapeutics for C9ALS/FTD. HUMAN GENE THERAPY, Vol. 33(23-24) (pp A91-A91)
  • Wiseman J, Cruzeiro J, Scarrott J, Karyka E, Marchi P, Webster CP, Yang Z, Coldicott I, Shaw PJ, Ferraiuolo L & Azzouz M (2022) Gene Replacement Therapy for Spastic Paraplegia 47. HUMAN GENE THERAPY, Vol. 33(23-24) (pp A26-A27)
  • Allen SP, Hall B, Castelli L, Francis L, Woof R, Higginbottom A, Myszczynska M, Allen CF, Stopford MJ, Webster CP , De Vos K et al (2018) . Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Bioenergetics, Vol. 1859(Supplement) (pp e23-e23). Budapest, Hungary, 25 August 2018 - 25 August 2018.

Preprints

  • Marchi PM, Marrone L, Brasseur L, Bousset L, Webster CP, Destro M, Smith EF, Walther CG, Alfred V, Marroccella R , Robinson D et al (2021) , Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
Research group

PhD:

  • Matthew Roach (2019/2023)

MSc:

  • Daniel Hollard (2024/25)
  • Alisha Khan (2024/25)
  • Azita Soltanmohammadi (2023/24)
  • Dana Dauletalina (2023/24 - Gordon Bramah Prize for Advanced Therapies and Divisional Prize for Best Research Project)
  • Dagmara Szmaglinska (2022/23 - Gordon Bramah Prize for Advanced Therapies, Divisional Prize for Best Research Project and The Jody De Vos MND Research Award)
  • Luke Cottrell (2022/23)
  • Olivia Crossley (2021/22 - Divisional Prize for Best Research Project and The Jody De Vos MND Research Award)
Current Projects

Development of novel gene therapy approaches for inherited forms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD), with a current focus on C9orf72-ALS/FTD.