Staff Profile

I completed my PhD within the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research in 2014. My research is primarily focused on the development of assays to discover new compounds to improve mitochondrial function in patients with mitochondrial disease. 

Area of expertise

Development of treatments for mitochondrial disease

Qualifications

PhD Newcastle University

Mres Newcastle University 

BSc (Hons) Pharmacology, Newcastle University  

Google scholar: Click here.

• Articles

  • Hipps D, Pyle A, Porter ALR, Dobson PF, Tuppen H, Lawless C, Russell OM, Turnbull DM, Deehan DJ, Hudson G. Variant load of mitochondrial DNA in single human mesenchymal stem cells. Scientific Reports 2024, 14(1), 20989.
  • Franklin IG, Milne P, Childs J, Boggan RM, Barrow I, Lawless C, Gorman GS, Ng YS, Collin M, Russell OM, Pickett SJ. T cell differentiation drives the negative selection of pathogenic mitochondrial DNA variants. Life Science Alliance 2023, 6(11), e202302271.
  • Lambourne OA, Bell S, Wilhelm LP, Yarbrough EB, Holly GG, Russell OM, Alghamdi AM, Fdel AM, Varricchio C, Lane EL, Ganley IG, Jones AT, Goldberg MS, Mehellou Y. PINK1-Dependent Mitophagy Inhibits Elevated Ubiquitin Phosphorylation Caused by Mitochondrial Damage. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2023, 66(11), 7645-7656.
  • Chen C, McDonald D, Blain A, Mossman E, Atkin K, Marusich MF, Capaldi R, Bone L, Smith A, Filby A, Erskine D, Russell O, Hudson G, Vincent AE, Reeve AK. Parkinson’s disease neurons exhibit alterations in mitochondrial quality control proteins. npj Parkinson's Disease 2023, 9, 120.
  • Nolden KA, Egner JM, Collier JJ, Russell OM, Alston CL, Harwig MC, Widlansky ME, Sasorith S, Barbosa IA, Douglas AG, Baptista J, Walker M, Donnelly DE, Morris AA, Tan HJ, Kurian MA, Gorman K, Mordekar S, Deshpande C, Samanta R, McFarland R, Hill RB, Taylor RW, Olahova M. Novel DNM1L variants impair mitochondrial dynamics through divergent mechanisms. Life Science Alliance 2022, 5(12), e202101284.
  • Hipps D, Dobson PF, Warren C, McDonald D, Fuller A, Filby A, Bulmer D, Laude A, Russell O, Deehan DJ, Turnbull DM, Lawless C. Detecting respiratory chain defects in osteoblasts from osteoarthritic patients using imaging mass cytometry. Bone 2022, 158, 116371.
  • Smith ALM, Whitehall JC, Bradshaw C, Gay D, Robertson F, Blain AP, Hudson G, Pyle A, Houghton D, Hunt M, Sampson JN, Stamp C, Mallett G, Amarnath S, Leslie J, Oakley F, Wilson L, Baker A, Russell OM, Johnson R, Richardson CA, Gupta B, McCallum I, McDonald SAC, Kelly S, Mathers JC, Heer R, Taylor RW, Perkins ND, Turnbull DM, Sansom OJ, Greaves LC. Age-associated mitochondrial DNA mutations cause metabolic remodeling that contributes to accelerated intestinal tumorigenesis. Nature Cancer 2020, 1, 976-989.
  • Russell OM, Fruh I, Rai PK, Marcellin D, Doll T, Reeve A, Germain M, Bastien J, Rygiel KA, Cerino R, Sailer AW, Lako M, Taylor RW, Mueller M, Lightowlers RN, Turnbull DM, Helliwell SB. Preferential amplification of a human mitochondrial DNA deletion in vitro and in vivo. Scientific Reports 2018, 8(1), 1799.
  • Rai PK, Russell OM, Lightowlers RN, Turnbull DM. Potential compounds for the treatment of mitochondrial disease. British Medical Bulletin 2015, 116(1), 5-18.

• Editorial

  • Russell OM, Lightowlers RN, Turnbull DM. Applying the Airbrakes: Treating Mitochondrial Disease with Hypoxia. Molecular Cell 2016, 62(1), 5-6.

• Note

  • Lightowlers RN, Chrzanowska-Lightowlers ZMA, Russell OM. Mitochondrial transplantation—a possible therapeutic for mitochondrial dysfunction?: Mitochondrial transfer is a potential cure for many diseases but proof of efficacy and safety is still lacking. EMBO Reports 2020, 21(9), e50964.

• Reviews

  • Russell OM, Gorman GS, Lightowlers RN, Turnbull DM. Mitochondrial Diseases: Hope for the Future. Cell 2020, 181(1), 168-188.
  • Ahmed ST, Craven C, Russell OM, Turnbull DM, Vincent AE. Diagnosis and Treatment of Mitochondrial Myopathies. Neurotherapeutics 2018, 15(4), 943-953.
  • Rai PK, Craven L, Hoogewijs K, Russell OM, Lightowlers RN. Advances in methods for reducing mitochondrial DNA disease by replacing or manipulating the mitochondrial genome. Essays in Biochemistry 2018, 62(3), 455-465.
  • Russell O, Turnbull D. Mitochondrial DNA disease - molecular insights and potential routes to a cure. Experimental Cell Research 2014, 325(1), 38-43.