Maria joined the Bone & Musculoskeletal team in 2008 to manage a complex Translational Medicine Research Collaboration funded study investigating the utility of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as an imaging biomarker for muscle function. During this time she further developed her interest in musculoskeletal research by identifying cell signalling molecules and in particular a subset of the so-called axon guidance molecules whose upregulation could be strategic in joint and limb development in health and disease. Defining their regulation and function will be a natural extension of her previous work at the MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King 's College London (KCL), under the mentorship of Prof Guthrie. During her time at KCL Maria established collaborations in the field of developmental cell biology and trained in the “chick model”. Following her PhD in molecular biology, training included cell biology and imaging under Prof Bolsover (UCL) and biochemistry under Prof Sacks ( Harvard Medical School), analysing cell calcium signalling.

Collaborators
Prof. Richard Aspden
Dr Neil Vargesson
Dr Lynda Erskine
Prof Sarah Guthrie (KCL)
Dr Christiana Ruhrberg (UCL)
Dr Avihu Klar ( Israel)

Positions and responsibilities:
2009 - Member of the University of AberdeenSenatus Academicus.
2005-2008 Member of the KCL Academic Board.
2004-2005 Member of the executive board of Harvard Medical School Postdoctoral Association.
2003-2004 Member of the UCL Academic Board.

Interests:
Sports: Marathon running and Triathlon.

Recent Publications

Miyake, N., Chilton, J., Psatha, M., Cheng, L., Andrews, C., Chan, W.-M., Law, K., Crosier, M., Lindsay, S., Cheung, M., Allen, J., Gutowski, N.J., Ellard, S., Young, E., Iannaccone, A., Appukuttan, B., Stout, J.T., Christiansen, S., Ciccarelli, M.L., Baldi, A., Campioni, M., Zenteno, J.C., Davenport, D., Mariani, L.E., Sahin, M., Guthrie, S., Engle, E.C. "Human CHN1 mutations hyperactivate α2-chimaerin and cause Duane's retraction syndrome" Science 321(5890), 839-843, 2008
Full text available

Psatha, M.I., Razi, M., Koffer, A., Moss, S.E., Sacks, D.B., Bolsover, S.R. "Targeting of calcium:calmodulin signals to the cytoskeleton by IQGAP1" Cell Calcium, 41(6) 591-605, 2007

Psatha, M., Koffer, A., Erent, M., Moss, S.E., Bolsover, S. "Calmodulin spatial dynamics in RBL-2H3 mast cells" Cell Calcium, 36(1) 51-59, 2004

Konstantopoulos, K., Psatha, M., Kalotychou, V., Frangia, N., Ioannovits, I., Meletis, I., Loukopoulos, D. "Clinical significance of the molecular detection of melanoma cells circulating in the peripheral blood in melanoma patients" Panminerva Medica, 43(2) 109-113, 2001