Portrait of Sheena Radford

Half-length portrait of Sheena Radford, leaning against a desk, at the School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds.

Professor Sheena Radford, biophysicist, was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2014 and currently serves on its Council. Professor of Biophysics at the University of Leeds, she investigates protein folding — the process by which a protein reaches the unique three-dimensional structure that allows it to perform its function. Sheena’s research is helping to reveal fine details about this process in both lab-isolated proteins and living cells, as well as determining how incorrectly folded proteins can lead to disease.

Misfolded proteins are often unable to perform their roles and may even stick together, forming aggregates that cause cells to malfunction. The resulting diseases, which include Alzheimer’s disease and dialysis-related amyloidosis, lead to significant economic and social burden. By improving our understanding of protein folding, Sheena’s work is heralding advances in their treatment.