Heidi McBride, PhD, is a cell biologist specializing in mitochondrial dynamics and signaling. She completed her PhD at McGill University, with post-doctoral work at the EMBL in Heidelberg. She began her independent career at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute in 2000 and was recruited in 2011 to the Montreal Neurological Institute at McGill University where she now holds a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Mitochondrial Cell Biology. Her research centers on the molecular mechanisms and function of mitochondrial dynamics, with projects focused on mitochondrial fusion, fission and the formation of mitochondrial derived vesicles. The goal is to understand the fundamental behavior of the mitochondria and identify the molecular mechanisms of communication required to mediate cellular transitions, including metabolic, cell cycle, immune pathways and cell death. Within ASAP, they will uncover the mechanisms by which Parkinson’s-related proteins contribute to the signaling and transport pathways that link innate to adaptive immunity.