Launch of the new Huntington’s Disease Centre in Wales marks a new era of collaboration

The BRAIN Unit were delighted to support the launch of the new Huntington’s Disease Centre in Wales which took place in Cardiff University’s Hadyn Ellis Building on Wednesday 8 March, 2024.

Huntington’s Disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disease which causes brain cells to be lost, impacting thinking, movement, behaviour and mental health.

During a warm welcome to the launch event, Professor Anne Rosser explained that the launch of the Huntington’s Disease Centre in Wales marks a new era for HD research. The aim is to bring together researchers across multiple disciplines, institutions and sectors across Wales for collaboration and to promote world leading research into HD.

The local breadth and depth of expertise in HD research from fundamental understanding of disease biology to the clinical testing of new therapies provides a great opportunity to achieve the ultimate goal of finding treatments that can slow down or stop HD progression. The centre also recongises the importance of continuing to provide support to people and families living with HD.  Therefore, research into reducing the impact of HD on families, working alongside key patient-focussed organisations also features as a key theme within the centre.

The centre will continue to work alongside its collaborators within Cardiff University, which include the BRAIN Unit, National Neuroscience and Mental Health Innovation Institute (NMHII), the Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics (CNGG) and the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging centre (CUBRIC).

The BRAIN Unit looks forward to building on the existing foundation of excellence in HD through collaborative activity.