About Dr. Ross

Owen A. Ross is a native of the north of Ireland, who obtained his Ph.D. in the genetics of ageing from the University of Ulster in Ireland, in 2003. His first Post–doctoral position was undertaken at Queens University Belfast, Ireland, investigating genetic variations of the alpha–synuclein gene in Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies. In 2005 he moved to the Department of Neuroscience in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Jacksonville, Florida to work in the laboratory of Professor Matthew J. Farrer. Dr. Ross has helped to elucidate the role of LRRK2 genetics in Parkinson's disease and is a co–author of over 30 publications on the subject. His work includes the identifications of the most common genetic cause of Parkinson's disease (Lrrk2 G2019S) and the first common functional risk factors for the disease (Lrrk2 R1628P and G2385R). He received the Honorable Mention for the Moore award in clincopathologic research at the 81st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Neuropathologists in 2005 for his work on Lrrk2 G2019S with Professor Dennis W. Dickson. Dr. Ross is presently an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience in the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and his primary research interests are in the genetics of neurodegenerative disorders, specifically Stroke and Parkinson's disease. Dr. Ross' group is focused on the investigation of genetic variation in both familial and sporadic forms of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.