Neurodegeneration
Protein aggregation, lysosomal dysfunction, neuroinflammation, and the mechanisms that shape disease progression over time.
Neurodegeneration · systems · long-term work
Neuroscience, systems, and difficult problems.
I’m Steven Kippax. I’m finishing an MSc in Neurodegeneration & Neuroscience at Sheffield, while building technical systems for research and synthesis.
I’m working toward a PhD focused on the molecular side of dementia and neurodegeneration — especially protein aggregation, autophagy, lysosomal dysfunction, and how complex biological systems break down.
Open to PhD conversations, research tooling collaborations, and neurodegeneration-related work for 2027 and beyond.
Focus
What I’m working on
Most of my work sits where neurodegeneration, computation, and research systems meet.
Technical systems
Automation, data pipelines, and research tools that reduce friction and make better work easier to do.
Clear synthesis
Taking dense papers, models, and signals, and turning them into something clearer and easier to use.
Selected work
Selected work
A small set of projects that gives a fair picture of how I tend to work.
Neurospan
A neuroscience publishing and synthesis project that turns new research into clearer summaries without losing the source trail.
Research tooling
I build systems for literature collection, retrieval, summarisation, and workflow automation — mostly to reduce repetition and leave more room for judgment.
Applied technical work
From neural network fundamentals to browser automation and information pipelines, I usually learn by building. The through-line is real fluency, not display.
The thread through most of my work is simple: understand complex systems properly, then build tools or explanations that make them easier to work with.
Academic portfolio
Three degrees, three cities, one through-line
Each step widened the same instincts: systems thinking, scientific depth, and a preference for work that holds up when the details get difficult.
BA International Relations
Durham
2018–2022
2:1
The first formal home for systems thinking: institutions, incentives, long horizons, and how large structures behave under pressure.
MSc Psychology of Mental Health (Conversion)
Edinburgh
2023–2024
Merit (68)
A deeper move into mind and brain, with tighter scientific method, stronger psychological grounding, and a clearer route into neuroscience.
MSc Neurodegeneration & Neuroscience
Sheffield
2024–Present
On track for Distinction
The current centre of gravity: neurodegeneration, protein aggregation, molecular failure modes, and the foundation for doctoral research.
Background
A broad route, but a consistent set of interests
Politics, psychology, business, endurance, then neuroscience. The subject matter changed, but the underlying interests didn’t: systems, failure modes, and how real progress is made.
University of Sheffield
MSc Neurodegeneration & Neuroscience, with a growing focus on protein aggregation, neurodegeneration, and preparation for doctoral research.
University of Edinburgh
Psychology of Mental Health, where the scientific side of mind and brain became much harder to ignore.
Durham + building online
International Relations gave me systems thinking. Building businesses and media systems gave me a bias toward action, iteration, and direct problem-solving.
Training and endurance
Long-distance running and strength work are part of how I think. Endurance has become less about sport and more about discipline, temperament, and staying power.
Contact
If our work overlaps, I’d be glad to hear from you
I’m especially interested in PhD opportunities related to neurodegeneration, protein aggregation, autophagy, lysosomal biology, and computational approaches to difficult biological questions.
I’m also happy to hear from people working at the intersection of neuroscience, systems, and research tooling.
FAQ
A few quick answers
A little context on what I’m working on, the PhD direction I’m pursuing, and the kinds of collaborations I’m open to.
What kind of PhD work am I targeting?
I’m aiming for molecular and mechanistic neurodegeneration work, especially around protein aggregation, autophagy, lysosomal dysfunction, and computational approaches that clarify difficult biological questions.
What do I build outside the lab?
I build research-supporting systems, including literature pipelines, synthesis workflows, automation, and publishing tools such as Neurospan.
What kind of collaboration fits best?
I’m most interested in work at the intersection of neuroscience, neurodegeneration, research tooling, automation, and long-horizon problem solving.
What’s the best way to reach me?
Email is best. A little context on the lab, problem, or project helps me reply properly.