Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Prof Thomas Fath is Deputy Director of the Dementia Research Centre and Professor in the Department of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Macquarie University. Previous to this, he was the Head of the Neurodegeneration and Repair Unit (NRU) and Head of the Neuronal Culture Core Facility (NCCF) at UNSW. He received his PhD in 2002 from the University of Heidelberg, where he worked on the functional role of Tau phosphorylation in Alzheimer's disease. He then moved to The Scripps Research Institute at La Jolla (2003-2005, USA), shifting his research focus to the study of the actin cytoskeleton in neuronal function and morphogenesis. After this, Dr Fath continued his work on the actin cytoskeleton in neurons at the Children's Hospital at Westmead (2005-2008). In 2009, he took on a Research & Teaching position in the School of Medical Sciences at UNSW Sydney, where he established an ARC and NHMRC-funded research program, investigating cytoskeleton-associated patho-mechanisms of Neurodegenerative diseases and mechanisms of neurite regeneration.
Research interests
The primary research focus of the lab is on the regulation of the cytoskeleton in injury and diseases of the central nervous system, including brain trauma, Alzheimer's Disease and motor neuron disease. For this, we employ cell and tissue cultures and genetically modified mice, combined with advanced imaging technologies. Recent outcome from our work demonstrates that distinct isoforms of the tropomyosin protein family regulate early processes of neuronal morphogenesis and that these proteins are key regulators of the cellular architecture in sub-cellular compartments of neuronal cells such as the growth cones of extending neurites in the developing and synaptic connections in the mature nervous system. Our research team investigates the actin cytoskeleton as potential drug target to provide protection and promote regeneration in the injured or diseased nervous system. Current projects include:
Functional charachterisation of the synaptic actin cytoskeleton in Alzheimer's disease
Develop actin cytoskeleton targeting therapies for neurodegenerative diseases
Deciphering the functional role of the actin cytoskeleton in neuronal morphogenesis
Education/Academic qualification
Data Science, Graduate Diploma in Data Science (Applied), The University of Adelaide
2021 → 2022
Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Graduate Certificate of University Learning and Teaching, The University of New South Wales
1 Jul 2014 → 1 Jun 2016
Neurobiology, PhD, Heidelberg University
1998 → 2002
Neurobiology, Diplom (BSc), Heidelberg University
1998
Medical Biochemistry, University of Wales
1 Sept 1996 → 1 Aug 1997
External positions
Chair, 'Cell Architecture' Special Interest Group, Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2018 → …
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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DARF: Investigating mechanisms of tau uptake and release in glia
Genoud, S. (Primary Chief Investigator), Fath, T. (Associate Investigator), Van Eersel, J. (Associate Investigator) & Ittner, L. (Associate Investigator)
8/04/24 → 8/04/26
Project: Research
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Unravelling the molecular mechanism of tau spread in Alzheimer's disease
Genoud, S. (Investigator) & Fath, T. (Primary Chief Investigator)
Project: Research
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MNDRA24: Investigating the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) membrane proteome in MND pathogenesis and clinical application
Wang, Y. (Primary Chief Investigator), Yang, S. (Chief Investigator), Lee, A. (Chief Investigator), Fath, T. (Chief Investigator) & Ooi, L. (Chief Investigator)
24/06/24 → 23/06/25
Project: Research
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Unravelling the molecular mechanism of tau spread in Alzheimer's disease
Fath, T. (Primary Chief Investigator), Van Eersel, J. (Chief Investigator), Przybyla, M. (Chief Investigator) & Ittner, L. (Associate Investigator)
1/01/21 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Novel mechanisms of neurodegeneration induced by dysfunctional actin dynamics in MND
Atkin, J. (Primary Chief Investigator) & Fath, T. (Chief Investigator)
10/02/20 → 9/02/21
Project: Research
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Engineered cyclotide blocks neuronal excitotoxicity
Ariawan, D., van der Hoven, J., Morey, N., Pushpitha, K., Genoud, S., Stefen, H., Veltman, S., Przybyla, M., Deng, Y., Fath, T., Tietz, O., van Eersel, J. & Ittner, L. M., 13 Mar 2025, In: Journal of Medicinal Chemistry. 68, 5, p. 5211-5221 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
1 Citation (Scopus) -
Knock-out of Tpm4.2/actin filaments alters neuronal signaling, neurite outgrowth, and behavioral phenotypes in mice
Genoud, S., Chaichim, C., Porto, R. R., Tomanic, T., Stefen, H., Paric, E., Sarkar, S., Yoo, D., Gao, W., Hardeman, E. C., Gunning, P. W., Karl, T., Power, J. & Fath, T., Dec 2025, In: Molecular Neurobiology. 62, 12, p. 16316-16341 26 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Design of peptide therapeutics as protein-protein interaction inhibitors to treat neurodegenerative diseases
Ariawan, D., Pushpitha, K. P. M., El-Omar, A., van der Hoven, J., Genoud, S., Stefen, H., Fath, T., van Eersel, J., Ittner, L. M. & Tietz, O., 30 Oct 2024, In: RSC Advances. 14, 47, p. 34637-34642 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)65 Downloads (Pure) -
Location of the axon initial segment assembly can be predicted from neuronal shape
Xu, Z., Angstmann, C. N., Wu, Y., Stefen, H., Parić, E., Fath, T. & Curmi, P. M. G., 15 Mar 2024, In: iScience. 27, 3, p. 1-21 22 p., 109264.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus)39 Downloads (Pure) -
‘10th cell architecture in development and disease (CADD)’: Meeting report
Fath, T., Sytnyk, V. & Martínez-Mármol, R., 2024, In: Cytoskeleton. 81, 6-7, p. 264-265 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
Prizes
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Vice Chancellor’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning
Fath, T. (Recipient), Dec 2015
Prize: Honorary award
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Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (Journal)
Fath, T. (Member of editorial board)
2017 → …Activity: Peer-review and editorial of research outputs › Editorial work
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Joint meeting: 6th Cell Architecture in Development and Disease Symposium (CADD)AND 11th Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease Symposium (APD)
Fath, T. (Organiser)
30 Nov 2017 → 1 Dec 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop or event series
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Scientific Reports (Journal)
Fath, T. (Member of editorial board)
2017 → …Activity: Peer-review and editorial of research outputs › Editorial work
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37th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australasian Neuroscience Society
Fath, T. (Chair)
3 Dec 2017 → 6 Dec 2017Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop or event series
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5th Cell Architecture in Development and Disease Symposium (CADD)
Fath, T. (Organiser)
30 Sept 2016Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Organising a conference, workshop or event series