Hazel completed her undergraduate MSci in Human Anatomy at the University of Glasgow (2014–2019), followed by a PhD in Biomedical Sciences (Anatomy) at the University of Aberdeen (2019–2023). Her doctoral research, supervised by Regius Professor Simon Parson, focused on the pathology of the childhood motor neuron disease spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

She subsequently continued her research at the University of Aberdeen, investigating neurovascular dysfunction in SMA. Using a combination of human post-mortem tissue, animal models, 2D and 3D cell culture systems, and patient biofluids, her work explored how SMA-associated mutations affect vascular development and function, with the aim of identifying novel disease biomarkers.

Hazel was awarded both a Chief Scientist Office (CSO) Early Career Fellowship and a Lord Kelvin/Adam Smith Fellowship to establish an independent research programme focused on defining endothelial cell dysfunction in multiple sclerosis. She also contributes as a co-investigator on several ongoing projects in SMA and collaborates closely with Professor Julia Edgar, leader of the Axo-glial Research Group.

Hazel holds an Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy and is an active member of several learned societies, including the Anatomical Society and the British Microcirculation and Vascular Biology Society (BMVBS). She serves on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Anatomy, the Meetings Committee of the Anatomical Society, the Social Media Committee of the European Federation for Experimental Morphology, and the Expert Review Network for the MS Society.

She is committed to public engagement and has contributed to a range of outreach and patient-focused initiatives, including events organised by MND Scotland and the My Name'5 Doddie Foundation since 2023.

Hazel joined the University of Glasgow as an Independent Research Fellow in 2026.

Hazel’s research focuses on defining the role of the vasculature in the onset and progression of neurodegenerative conditions. While these disorders are typically characterised by neuronal loss or demyelination, there is growing evidence that impaired vascular growth, function, and integrity, alongside dysfunction of the blood–central nervous system barriers, actively contributes to disease initiation and progression. Disruption of these systems can alter tissue homeostasis, promote neuroinflammation, increase cellular damage, and exacerbate disease severity.

Her work seeks to establish vascular dysfunction as a disease-independent modifier of neurodegenerative disease, shaping disease trajectory and severity across distinct conditions. To address this, her research integrates patient-derived cellular models with human post-mortem tissue to define how endothelial cell phenotypes are altered, the mechanisms driving these changes, and their downstream consequences. By combining mechanistic and translational approaches, her programme aims to identify conserved vascular pathways that can be therapeutically targeted.

Ultimately, Hazel’s research aims to reposition the vasculature as a central driver of neurodegenerative disease and to develop vascular-targeted therapeutic strategies that improve outcomes across traditionally distinct neurological conditions.

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