People

Dr Fergal Waldron

Dr Fergal Waldron
Dr Fergal Waldron
Dr Fergal Waldron

BSc MSc MRes PhD (Cantab.)

Advanced Research Fellow

About
Office Address
5.15.5 Institute of Medical Sciences
Foresterhill Campus
Ashgrove Road West
AB25 2ZD

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School/Department
School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition
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Biography

My research centres on the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases and the understanding of disease heterogeneity to inform precision-prevention and precision-medicine approaches aimed at improving clinical outcomes for patients and individuals at risk of neurodegenerative conditions. My research is particularly focused on the basic and comparative aetiology and pathobiology of ALS/MND, FTD, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease.

This work spans peripheral and systemic signatures of neurodegenerative disease, biomarker discovery and development (esp. aptamers), non-motor and systemic disease manifestations—including the role of the gut—co-pathologies and multiproteinopathies, the role of the immune system, and the synthesis of epidemiological and biological data to better understand disease heterogeneity.

I am also interested in the application of artificial intelligence and meta-analytical approaches to integrate complex biological, clinical, and population-level datasets, to support data-driven discovery, and translate complex research findings into clinically meaningful insights.

My research adopts an integrative, multidisciplinary approach informed by a broad range of research and training in classical and evolutionary genetics, genomics, data analytics and modelling, bioinformatics, molecular biology, experimental biology, neuroscience and immunity.

A central aim of my research is to translate discoveries into practical tools, resources and insights that can be used in clinical care and research, enabling preventive or disease-modifying therapies, improving clinical trial design, and ultimately improving outcomes for people with, or at risk of, neurodegenerative diseases.

 

Qualifications

  • BSc Zoology 
    2003 - National University of Ireland, Galway 
  • MRes Zoology 
    2006 - National University of Ireland, Galway 
  • MSc Evolutionary Genetics and Genome Analysis 
    2008 - University of Edinburgh 
  • PhD Evolutionary Genetics 
    2013 - University of Cambridge 

Internal Memberships

The Genetics Society

The Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland

Latest Publications

  • Machine learning identifies routine blood tests as accurate predictive measures of pollution-dependent poor cognitive function

    Johnson, H., Longden, J., Cameron, G., Waiter, G. D., Waldron, F. M., Gregory, J. M., Spence, H.
    Scientific Reports
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Theragnostic potential of aptamers in neurodegenerative diseases: A protocol for a sytematic review and meta-analysis v1

    Jackson, A. T., Waldron, F. M., Tartaglia, G. G., Gregory, J.
    Other Contributions: Other Contributions

  • Protein misfolding enteropathy predicts and prognosticates neurodegenerative disease years before symptom onset

    Langerová, T., MacVicar, E., Press, R., Read, F. L., Piana, M., Murdoch, S., Innes, J., Wilson, J., Watson, A. J., Waldron, F. M., Ramsay, G., Gregory, J. M.
    Gastroenterology
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • Metabolic signatures of ferritin and TDP-43 co-pathology provide a mechanistic basis for stratified therapeutic approaches in ALS

    Spence, H., Read, F., Waldron, F., Gregory, J.
    Working Papers: Preprint Papers

  • Genotype-specific interferon signatures in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis relate to disease severity

    Carletta, O., Perfetto, C., Rifai, O. M., Manganelli, F., Waldron, F., Maniatis, T., Gregory, J., Gerbino, V.
    Brain, vol. 149, no. 2, pp. 489-501
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

View My Publications

Research

Funding and Grants

Statistical frameworks for the evaluation of undiagnosed gut proteinopathies as early indicators of neurological disease (PI): £19,930 | 2025 | Grant | NHS Grampian

A Laboratory Model for Antiviral Immunity in Molluscs (co-writer); £201,732 | 2018-06 to 2021-10 | Grant | The Leverhulme Trust (London, GB)

Establishment of a Laboratory Model for Antiviral Immunity in Molluscs (co-writer); £44,364 | 2017-04 to 2017-12 | Grant | Wellcome Trust ISSF (London, GB)

Antiviral immune expression in the mollusc Lymnaea stagnalis (co-writer); £1,791 | 2017-02 to 2017-06 | Grant | University of Edinburgh Moray Endowement Fund (Edinburgh, GB)

Next Generation Sequencing workshop hosted by the Vienna Graduate School of Population Genetics Registration and Travel Award; €1,000 | 2011-05 to 2011-06 | AwardEuropean Science Foundation (Strasbourg, FR)

St. John’s College, Cambridge Learning and Research Fund; £1,000 | 2010-06 to 2010-07 | Award | St. John's College, University of Cambridge (Cambridge, GB)

Summer Institute in Statistics and Modelling in Infectious Diseases workshop hosted by The University of Washington Registration and Travel Award; $4,000 | 2010-06 to 2010-07 | Award | National Institutes of Health (Bethesda, Maryland, US)

Marie Curie Early Stage Research Fellowship; £24,055 | 2007-09 to 2008-08 | Salary award | Marie Curie (London, GB)

Embark Initiative Thermadapt Programme Research Fellowship; €38,012 | 2003-09 to 2005-08 | Salary award | Irish Research Council (Dublin, IE)

Publications

Page 3 of 5 Results 21 to 30 of 49

  • Understanding the influence of altered lipid metabolism on TDP-43 pathology: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis v1

    Langerova, T., Spence, H., Waldron, F. M., Gregory, J.
    protocols.io.
    Other Contributions: Other Contributions

  • Amygdala TDP-43 pathology is associated with behavioural dysfunction and ferritin accumulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

    Rifai, O. M., Waldron, F., O'Shaughnessy, J., Read, F., Gilodi, M., Pastore, A., Tartaglia, G. G., Zacco, E., Spence, H., Gregory, J.
    Working Papers: Preprint Papers

  • RNA aptamer reveals nuclear TDP-43 pathology is an early aggregation event that coincides with STMN-2 cryptic splicing and precedes clinical manifestation in ALS

    Spence, H., Waldron, F., Saleeb, R. S., Brown, A., Rifai, O. M., Gilodi, M., Read, F., Nellany, K., Milne, G., Wilkinson, D., O'shaughnessy, J., Pastore, A., Fratta, P., Shneider, N., Tartaglia, G. G., Zacco, E., Horrocks, M. H., Gregory, J.
    Acta Neuropathologica, vol. 147, 50
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • SOP and tick-sheet for using TDP-43 RNA aptamer (TDP-43APT) to detect pathological TDP-43 in FFPE-preserved human tissue, as described in Spence and Waldron et al., 2024 (Acta Neuropathologica) v1

    Waldron, F. M., Gregory, J., Spence, H.
    protocols.io.
    Other Contributions: Other Contributions

  • TDP-43 RNA aptamer staining to detect pathological TDP-43 in FFPE human tissue, as described in Spence and Waldron et al., 2024 (Acta Neuropathologica):: A SOP and tick-sheet. v2

    Waldron, F. M., Spence, H., Gregory, J.
    protocols.io (article).
    Other Contributions: Other Contributions

  • Distinct neuroinflammatory signatures exist across genetic and sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cohorts

    Rifai, O. M., O'shaughnessy, J., Dando, O. R., Munro, A. F., Sewell, M. D., Abrahams, S., Waldron, F. M., Sibley, C. R., Gregory, J. M.
    Brain, vol. 146, no. 12, pp. 5124-5138
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • RNA aptamer reveals nuclear TDP-43 pathology is an early aggregation event that coincides withSTMN-2cryptic splicing and precedes clinical manifestation in ALS

    Spence, H., Waldron, F. M., Saleeb, R. S., Brown, A., Rifai, O. M., Gilodi, M., Read, F., Roberts, K., Milne, G., Wilkinson, D., O’Shaughnessy, J., Pastore, A., Fratta, P., Shneider, N., Tartaglia, G. G., Zacco, E., Horrocks, M. H., Gregory, J. M.
    Working Papers: Preprint Papers

  • Systematic, comprehensive, evidence-based approach to identify neuroprotective interventions for motor neuron disease: Using systematic reviews to inform expert consensus

    Wong, C., Gregory, J. M., Liao, J., Egan, K., Vesterinen, H. M., Ahmad Khan, A., Anwar, M., Beagan, C., Brown, F. S., Cafferkey, J., Cardinali, A., Chiam, J. Y., Chiang, C., Collins, V., Dormido, J., Elliott, E., Foley, P., Foo, Y. C., Fulton-Humble, L., Gane, A. B., Glasmacher, S. A., Heffernan, ?., Jayaprakash, K., Jayasuriya, N., Kaddouri, A., Kiernan, J., Langlands, G., Leighton, D., Liu, J., Lyon, J., Mehta, A. R., Meng, A., Nguyen, V., Park, N. H., Quigley, S., Rashid, Y., Salzinger, A., Shiell, B., Singh, A., Soane, T., Thompson, A., Tomala, O., Waldron, F. M., Selvaraj, B. T., Chataway, J., Swingler, R., Connick, P., Pal, S., Chandran, S., Macleod, M.
    BMJ Open, vol. 13, no. 2, e064169
    Contributions to Journals: Articles

  • ALS and the Gut-Brain Axis: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis assessing the relationship between amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the gut and its microbiome.

    Jackson, A. T., Press, R. G., Waldron, F., Gregory, J.
    protocols.io.
    Other Contributions: Other Contributions

  • Distinct neuroinflammatory signatures exist across genetic and sporadic ALS cohorts

    Rifai, O. M., O'shaughnessy, J., Dando, O., Munro, A. F., Sewell, M. D., Abrahams, S., Waldron, F., Sibley, C. R., Gregory, J.
    Working Papers: Preprint Papers
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