Ruth CHIA

Title: Associate Scientist

Office(s): Neuromuscular Disease Research Section (NDRS)

Phone Number: 301-435-8866

Email Address: ruth.chia@nih.gov

Biography

Dr. Ruth Chia is a cell biologist by training but has a reformed specialty in data science and bioinformatics over the last several years. She is currently a Staff Scientist and works with Dr. Bryan Traynor at the Laboratory of Neurogenetics at the National Institute on Aging within the NIH. She obtained her PhD in 2008 from University College London, UK, under the supervision of Professor Elizabeth Fisher in neuroscience and genetics with a primary focus on modeling motor neuron disease in mouse mouse models and in cells. She then joined Dr. Mark Cookson at the Laboratory of Neurogenetics at the NIH, where she investigated the biochemical and cellular function of a protein called LRRK2, and how mutations in LRRK2 cause Parkinson’s disease by employing various proteomics, pharmacological and RNAi approaches. Dr. Chia's research at present covers a wide range of -omics type analysis to understand and uncover the genetic risks and potential gene targets amenable to therapeutic intervention in various neurodegenerative diseases, including but not limited to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementia and myasthenia gravis.