Laurence A. Bindoff

Laurence Bindoff took a Bachelor degree in Biochemistry & Genetics and a Master in Neuroscience before completing medical training and subsequently specializing in Neurology. He moved to Bergen in 1997, and took up a position as Professor in Neurology, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, in 2001. As a neurological scientist, Laurence Bindoff has specialized in neurological genetics with special focus on mitochondrial diseases. He received his doctorate in mitochondrial disease from the University of Newcastle (Title: Defects of mitochondrial oxidations) with commendation. His clinical activities focussed on running a specialized neuromuscular/neurogenetic service seeing patients with all types of inherited neurological disease, but particularly those with mitochondrial & muscle disease. Bindoff was leader for the Mitochondrial Medicine & Neurogenetics (MMN) research group, (http://www.uib.no/rg/mitochondrial_medicine) until he retired in 2021.

Bindoff has contributed to the field of mitochondrial disease for more than 3 decades. His important discoveries include – finding one of the 3 major mutations causing Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy, showing that mitochondrial dysfunction outside the brain was present in Parkinson’s disease and showing that it was possible to shift the genetic basis in some types of mitochondrial DNA disease. His molecular pathology studies into the pathogenesis of the mitochondrial disease caused by mutations in polymerase gamma (POLG) have provided crucial insights into the mechanisms of disease, the important prognostic features and the potential treatments. In addition, he has described new syndromes including the first disorder linked to endocannabinoid metabolism and one that links amyloid metabolism and mitochondria.