Dr Mariah Lelos completed her PhD in 2010, after studying neural network modelling and cognitive dysfunction in a model of amyloid pathology. Her post-doctoral research focused on the safety, survival and efficacy of transplanting novel human pluripotent stem cell (hPSC-) derived dopamine cells and medium spiny neurons into rodent models of Parkinson’s (PD) and Huntington’s disease (HD), respectively. She also had a particular interest in understanding the non-motor (particularly cognitive and neuropsychiatric) dysfunctions that manifest in PD and HD. Dr Lelos was then awarded the 2015 Senior Research Fellowship from Parkinson’s UK to explore the ability of hPSC-derived dopamine cell therapies to form graft-host synapses and to alleviate non-motor dysfunctions. In 2018, Dr Lelos commenced a Senior Lectureship and now co-directs the Brain Repair Group, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University. Dr Lelos’ current research is exploring the impact of cell and gene therapies on non-motor dysfunctions for PD and HD, with particular interests in integration, synaptic connectivity, neuroinflammation and neuron subtype specificity.