Miratul Muqit, MBChB, PhD: A Study In PINK
Parkinson’s researcher pursues therapies that can prevent the loss of brain cells that will slow or stop the progression of the disease.
Parkinson’s disease is the fastest growing1 and the second most common2 neurodegenerative disease in the world. More than 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s, a number estimated to grow to 25.2 million by 2050.3 Despite its prevalence, and the billions of dollars invested in studying the causes of Parkinson’s, no therapies exist today that slow or reverse its progression.
Dr. Miratul Muqit, Professor of Experimental Neurology at the University of Dundee and a foremost expert on the molecular mechanisms driving Parkinson’s disease, is one of the principal investigators currently participating in the SPARK NS Translational Research Program.
Over the years in his lab at Dundee, Dr. Muqit and his team have focused on the role of mutations in the gene PINK1 on Parkinson’s. “Our work has revealed how PINK1 plays a crucial role in protecting mitochondria—the parts of the cell that produce energy—from damage,” said Dr. Muqit. “When mitochondria are stressed or damaged, PINK1 is activated and helps remove these faulty parts through a process called autophagy. This response is vital for cell survival. When PINK1 is mutated and unable to function, it leads to the buildup of damaged mitochondria, which we think triggers the neurodegeneration seen in Parkinson's disease.”
Dr. Muqit’s lab has made several other important discoveries about PINK1, including how it activates another protein called Parkin. This activation process is key to protecting neurons. “Our work has caught the attention of the pharmaceutical industry,” said Dr. Muqit. “Two molecules that enhance PINK1 mitophagy entered Phase 1 clinical trials in 2024.”
Already working with pharmaceutical companies—something many academics with promising discoveries have yet to experience—Dr. Muqit has no illusions about the difficulty of drug development. “Before even embarking on the process, it’s important to validate the biology and the science behind your discovery,” he said. “It’s also very important to ensure that the rationale for your drug is extremely robust. Even so, once you’ve done that, there are still many, many challenges at every stage.”
“Nothing Like I Have Ever Experienced”
Dr. Muqit was selected for the SPARK NS Translational Research Program, 2025 Cohort. “The SPARK NS program is nothing like any award I have experienced before,” said Dr. Muqit. “I have been bowled over by the enthusiasm and support for our project and team by the SPARK NS scientific leadership and team of advisors. Having access to advisors that span every stage of drug discovery and who are interested and intimately involved in our project is extremely motivating for me and the Dundee team.”
With his SPARK NS project, “Targeting the Integrated Stress Response Pathway to Boost Mitophagy for Parkinson’s Disease,” Dr. Muqit is continuing his quest to unlock new strategies to prevent the loss of brain cells that will slow or stop the progression of the devastating disease.
It All Started With a TV Show
Dr. Muqit’s journey into Parkinson’s research began well before SPARK NS—and even Dundee—in a curious way.
As a young medical student, Dr. Muqit watched an episode of the BBC series Horizon that showed patients who developed Parkinson’s after being exposed to a toxin called MPTP. What he saw about the challenges these people face, and the lengths they were willing to go for treatment, piqued his curiosity. In the short video below, Dr. Muqit shares how the show set him on the path to becoming one of today’s leading Parkinson’s researchers.
New National Role in Parkinson’s
In June 2025, Dr. Muqit achieved another milestone when he was appointed inaugural director of the new UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) Parkinson’s Research Centre, formed in partnership with Parkinson’s UK earlier this year. Dr. Muqit will be hosted at the University of Edinburgh, with Group Leaders located at other UK DRI centres across the UK. The new £10 million Centre aims to identify new approaches to Parkinson’s prediction and prevention, the development and testing of new treatments, and preventing the onset, slow, or even reverse the progression of the condition.
“It is an absolute honor to lead the new UK DRI Parkinson’s Research Centre,” said Dr. Muqit. “My mission as Director is to attract researchers with ideas and who are very passionate about developing a fundamentally new understanding of Parkinson’s and working closely with partners who can translate that knowledge into a new generation of therapies. I also want to make sure that the work of the Centre is fully integrated with Parkinson’s patients—people who have to live every day with symptoms and are longing for better treatments and a cure. That’s what patients want and that’s what my mission will be.”
Dr. Muqit added, “In the new Centre, as Director I have a chance to coordinate a national effort and perhaps make a much greater impact by bringing together scientists and clinicians throughout the UK in open science collaboration.”
References
1. GBD 2016 Parkinson’s Disease Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of Parkinson’s disease, 1990-2016: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. Lancet Neurol. 2018;17:939-53. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(18)30295-3/fulltext
2. GBD 2015 Neurological Disorders Collaborator Group. Global, regional, and national burden of neurological disorders during 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet Neurol. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laneur/article/PIIS1474-4422(17)30299-5/fulltext
3. Su D, Cui Y, He C, et al. Projections for prevalence of Parkinson's disease and its driving factors in 195 countries and territories to 2050: modelling study of Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. BMJ. 2025;388:e080952. https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj-2024-080952
Learn More
- Find out more about Dr. Muqit and his research at the University of Dundee
- Learn more about the SPARK NS Translational Research Program
- Meet Susan and the SPARK NS team