{{short description|British professor of molecular genetics}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}} {{Use British English|date=May 2020}} {{Infobox scientist |name = Catherine Abbott |fields = Molecular genetics |workplaces = University of Edinburgh<br>University College London |alma_mater = University of Reading |spouse = {{marriage|Sir Adrian Bird|1993}} }}

'''Catherine Abbott, Lady Bird''' is a professor of molecular genetics at the University of Edinburgh.

==Education== Abbott completed her BSc degree in 1983 at the University of Reading.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.research.ed.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/catherine-abbott(a5caeb9b-d7c1-41ba-b14b-5fb18545860f).html|title=Catherine Abbott - Edinburgh Research Explorer|website=www.research.ed.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=14 April 2018}}</ref> She earned a PhD in biochemical genetics from the University of Reading and the Medical Research Council from Harwell in 1987.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/profile/catherine-abbott|title=Professor Catherine Abbott|work=The University of Edinburgh|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref>

==Research== After her doctorate, Abbott joined University College London as a postdoctoral researcher working on mouse models of human diseases at a molecular level.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://patrickwildcentre.com/news/researcher-in-spotlight-cathy-abbott/|title=Researcher in Spotlight – Cathy Abbott – The Patrick Wild Centre|website=patrickwildcentre.com|date=3 October 2017 |access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> She moved to Edinburgh to work in the human genetics unit of the Medical Research Council and then as a tenured academic at the university.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://media.ed.ac.uk/media/Cathy+Abbott+-Centre+for+Molecular+Medicine-Research+In+A+Nutshell-+MRC+Institute+of+Genetic+and+Molecular+Medicine-12+07+2012/1_qgnhwaoy|title=Cathy Abbott -Centre for Molecular Medicine-Research In A Nutshell- MRC Institute of Genetic and Molecular Medicine-12/07/2012|website=Media Hopper Create - The University of Edinburgh Media Platform|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref>

Abbott is a geneticist who studies a strain of mice that develop an early onset of motor neuron disease.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.com/professor-cathy-abbott/|title=Professor Cathy Abbott|author1=The Euan MacDonald Centre|website=www.euanmacdonaldcentre.com|access-date=15 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416012639/https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.com/professor-cathy-abbott/|archive-date=16 April 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> The gene that was mutated in the strain of mice was eEF1A2, which is also present in neurodevelopmental disorders.<ref name=":0" /> She is also interested in what makes motor neurones particularly vulnerable to stress in comparison to other cells in the body, with a focus on making them more robust.<ref name=":1" /> Abbott is developing new models of motor neuron disease to identify new targets for treatments.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mndscotland.org.uk/research/research-we-fund/new-model-for-mnd/|title=New Model for MND|website=www.mndscotland.org.uk|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last=MND Scotland|title=Prof. Catherine Abbott on creating a new MND model|date=23 August 2017|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HIOjhsbAY0|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref>

The eEF1A2 gene is mutated in some people with autism and epilepsy, and Abbott's lab are modelling the changes to find out why.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sidb.org.uk/|title=Home: Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain|website=www.sidb.org.uk|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://patrickwildcentre.com/person/cathyabbott/|title=Cathy Abbott – The Patrick Wild Centre|website=patrickwildcentre.com|date=18 January 2017 |access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.muirmaxwellcentre.com/news/a-day-in-the-life-of-cathy-abbott/|title=A day in the life of Cathy Abbott|website=www.muirmaxwellcentre.com|language=en|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> She keeps a lab blog, where they document the important gene mutations they have discovered so far.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eef1a2epilepsy.wordpress.com/|title=eEF1A2 and epilepsy|website=eEF1A2 and epilepsy|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> She is interested in CRISPR/Cas Tools for gene editing.<ref name=":0"/>

Abbott is a campaigns for diversity within the sciences, and has led the Athena SWAN applications at the University of Edinburgh.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://blog.wellcome.ac.uk/2015/12/14/researcher-spotlight-dr-martyn-pickersgill/|title=Researcher Spotlight: Dr Martyn Pickersgill|date=14 December 2015|work=Wellcome Trust Blog|access-date=15 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180416012703/https://blog.wellcome.ac.uk/2015/12/14/researcher-spotlight-dr-martyn-pickersgill/|archive-date=16 April 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/igmm/work-with-us/life-at-the-igmm/equality-and-diversity|title=Equality & diversity|work=The University of Edinburgh|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/centre-genomic-medicine/news-events/news-2016/athena-swan-silver-ecms|title=Athena SWAN Silver Awards for Edinburgh Clinical Medical School and Dick Vet|work=The University of Edinburgh|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.ed.ac.uk/medicine-vet-medicine/edinburgh-medical-school/athena-swan/about|title=About Athena SWAN|work=The University of Edinburgh|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> She is a member of the British Neuroscience Association.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bna.org.uk/mediacentre/events/edinburgh-neuroscience-day-2018/|title=Edinburgh Neuroscience Day 2018|website=www.bna.org.uk|access-date=15 April 2018}}</ref> She is on the panel for the funding panel for the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nc3rs.org.uk/funding-panel-membership|title=Funding Panel membership|website=www.nc3rs.org.uk|accessdate=17 April 2018}}</ref> She is the Associate Editor for ACS journal Chemical Neuroscience.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pubs.acs.org/page/acncdm/editors.html|title=Editors- ACS Chemical Neuroscience|website=pubs.acs.org|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbott, Catherine}} Category:Living people Category:20th-century births Category:British molecular biologists Category:Women molecular biologists Category:Place of birth missing (living people) Category:Alumni of the University of Reading Category:Medical Research Council (United Kingdom) people Category:Academics of University College London Category:Academics of the University of Edinburgh Category:Wives of knights