Cell scientist to watch – Thomas McWilliams

Thomas McWilliams is Associate Professor of Mitochondrial Medicine at the University of Helsinki, Finland. After completing his undergraduate degree in biochemistry in Ireland, Tom moved to the UK for his PhD in integrative neuroscience at Cardiff University, Wales. This was followed by a stint in Scotland for his postdoc at the MRC Protein Phosphorylation & Ubiquitylation Unit, where he helped develop the famous mito-QC mitophagy reporter mouse. In 2018, Tom then established his lab at the University of Helsinki, Finland, where his research focuses on mechanisms of mitophagy and basal turnover of mitochondria in vivo. We caught up with Tom over Zoom to hear more about his diverse research training, the importance of studying mitophagy in vivo and what it's like to work and raise a family in Finland.