Drs Cynthia Sandor, who is supported by the Ser Cymru II programme which is part-funded by Cardiff University and the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government, Kathryn Peall and Professor Caleb Webber have recently received funding from the Health and Care Research Wales Health PhD Studentship awards to investigate the role of inflammation in Parkinson’s disease, as part of the Dementia Research Institute and BRAIN Unit at Cardiff University.
Parkinson’s disease is the most common neurodegenerative movement disorder, estimated to affect ~8000 people in Wales. However, considerable phenotypic heterogeneity, both in presentation and symptom progression, is observed in clinical practice.
In order to better understand these differences, Dr Sandor has developed a computational model that allows integration of genetic and clinical information, from which she has identified symptom sub-groups that mirror those that are seen in clinical practice. As part of this work, those patients with a greater genetic risk towards Alzheimer’s disease tended towards developing a more severe form of Parkinson’s disease, as well as demonstrating a more rapid progression of their symptoms over time.
Alzheimer’s disease research has highlighted the potential contribution of multiple components of the neuroinflammatory system in disease mechanism. To date, the role of these immune components has not been investigated in Parkinson’s disease, in particular how they might contribute to the different symptoms and disease severity levels of disease severity.
This project plans to make use of already collected, highly detailed, clinical and genetic information involving the Michael J Fox funded Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) and Accelerating Medicines Partnership (AMP)-PD. UK based cohorts – the UK Tracking cohort and UK Discovery cohort – will also be used in the development of machine learning approaches that may enable earlier identification of patients with more severe forms of Parkinson’s disease, with this having the potential to better plan clinical care.
Dr Cynthia Sandor said “Our aim is to accelerate our understanding of how Parkinson’s disease varies across individual patients and to identify blood-based biomarkers that will aid the disease course prediction, aid care planning. An understanding of the immune system, how the body is reacting to the disease, is clearly important for Parkinson’s disease. This research offers molecular insights that could guide the development of therapeutics able to alter the progression and manifestation of an individual’s Parkinson’s disease. Disease modifying therapies are more readily clinically trialled than preventative therapies for neurodegenerative diseases and thus are more likely to have a quicker impact on patients and their families.”
This forms an exciting PhD opportunity, using cutting edge computational approaches. It also represents a new working partnership between bioinformatics (Dr Sandor and Prof Webber) and clinical (Dr Peall) teams, aiming to ensure directly relevant application of novel genetic data to clinical practice.
This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic Clinical Research Fellow to work on a Health and Care Research Wales funded project at Cardiff University “BRAIN Unit” under the supervision of Professor Gray.
The post is available from February 2021 for 12 months.
This fellowship will optimize 3D human brain cultures for translational research in Neuro-Oncology and will involve both clinical and laboratory research. Professor Gray as Cardiff University’s Professor of Functional Neurosurgery is the academic lead in neurosurgery in Wales with principal interest in basic and clinical stem cell research related to patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, cell based therapies for neurological disease, and Neuro-Oncology. This post will support the Neuro-Oncology research of a collaborative group, including Professor Gray(3D culture model), Dr. Siebzehnrubl (personalized medicine research in brain tumours) and Professor Parker (oncolytic viral therapies).
Closing date 17 January 2021.
An exciting opportunity has arisen for a research assistant within the Neurology research group at Swansea University Medical School. They are looking for individuals with skills and experience in the analysis of data (preferably in health or social care) and a background in epidemiology, statistics, computing, or a related discipline, to work on routinely-collected data research for neurology and neuroscience research projects.
Closing Date 12 December 2020.
Welcome to the new Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics (BRAIN) Unit website. The new site offers details about ongoing research projects, specific research highlights, upcoming events, relevant news and helpful resources.
At a time when we are relying heavily on digital resources, the team at BRAIN hope this website will help to bridge the gap where engagement events and more regular meetings and seminars would have taken place. The ‘Resources’ section of the site includes a helpful archive of all of our annual reports and other printed materials ordinarily distributed at engagement events.
Another new element of the site is the rotating Research Highlights section, bringing attention to new and exciting developments within the Unit. The first highlight on the website features an exciting collaboration with Professor Alan Parker, focusing on oncolytic viral therapies research, obtaining the correct tissue from neurosurgical tumour operations and generating the additional cultures in the lab for testing.
The new site will also be supplemented with a newsletter, distributed quarterly, summarising research achievements and signposting events and job vacancies. To sign up for the newsletter please contact us to enquire.
In a year of change, the unit also oversaw the recruitment of a new manager, Jo Baker. Jo said;
“It has been incredibly inspiring seeing the hard work that continues to take place, keeping essential research going through the challenges of the pandemic and ensuring the safety of our patients is paramount to clinical trials restarting. As I settle into my role as BRAIN Unit manager, I am looking forward to engaging with our local and wider research community and supporting the translation of research into patient benefit.”
We have been adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic and have since been able to re-open our Neuroscience Research Unit at the University Hospital Wales and our Biobanking facility. Another core feature of our work on intracranial delivery of human fetal cell transplantation in the Huntington’s Disease trial TRIDENT. This is the only study of its kind globally at the current time; all permission is almost in place to resume activities.
Health and Care Research Wales (HCRW) hosted their first ever digital conference on 7 October 2020, centred around the theme ‘Making a difference: the impact of health and care research’. As part of the event, the team behind the DOMINO HD study (Multi Domain lifestyle targets for improving prognosis in Huntington’s disease) received the highly commended Public and Patient Involvement (PPI) award for their presentation.
Professor Monica Busse along with DOMINO team members Dr Cheney Drew and Dr Philippa Morgan-Jones and PPI representative Barry Mackintosh entered a virtual presentation titled ‘DOMINO HD: An example of successful, cross-cultural engagement with public and patient representatives to design a multi-national observational study.’
The presentation outlined how PPI was incorporated into all aspects of their research into Huntington’s Disease (HD), a neurodegenerative disorder for which there is currently no cure or effective treatment. However, there is growing evidence that environmental and genetic factors may have a part to play in determining the course of disease progression.
DOMINO-HD is a consortium study consisting of six European partners; the UK, Ireland, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Poland. The overarching aim of the study is to identify the key environmental factors that may be responsive in targeted interventions with a view towards optimising disease management for individuals with HD. The study has 3 main parts; development of a digital platform and implementation framework involving the development of methods for collecting information about lifestyle factors; using remote monitoring technologies to measure aspects of lifestyle and; validation of commercially available monitoring technologies for measuring lifestyle factors in people with HD.
The project involves a twelve month observational study to investigate the interplay of lifestyle and genetic factors on HD symptom progression. This will take place across the five clinical sites in Europe, involving the recruitment of around four hundred and fifty participants. The team will collect data on disease symptoms, nutrition, physical activity, sleep and genetics at baseline and 12 months. Additionally, there will be continuous collection of data on physical activity and sleep across the cohort using Fitbit devices for the 12 months. All the information gathered will be used for predictive modelling of disease outcomes, the aim of which is to inform the design and development of a cross cultural, data and theory driven lifestyle intervention, aimed at improving the quality of life of people with HD. The intention is that this intervention will be co-designed with significant input from PPI representatives.
All this work is underpinned by public and patient involvement. The initial study concept was supported by input from a number of stakeholder events and PPI activities focusing on lifestyle and physical activity of people with HD; in partnership with the HD involving people group and BRAIN Involve. In long term studies of people with challenging conditions, particularly when asking participants to engage with unfamiliar technologies, successful delivery of the study is dependent on participant centric design, therefore this was a key focus from the outset.
Dr Cheney Drew said “As a team we are delighted with the recognition of the successful incorporation of PPI in DOMINO-HD, particularly for our PPI representatives who’s enthusiasm for the research and dedication to the study have made a significant contribution to the ongoing delivery of the project”
The multinational nature of the study requires cross cultural PPI input to ensure the relevance of the study in each partner country. As a result, a model was implemented featuring representatives from all five countries, acting as a conduit between the main research team and the wider PPI network within their own locale. This has helped to facilitate equal opportunities for involvement across all partner countries.
In an initial meeting, the team laid out their expectations of the PPI role which gave them an opportunity to identify any further training and support required for their representatives. This promoted confident and helpful input from the representatives, which proved pivotal in the co-development of participant friendly materials for gathering wider public and patient input.
One of the local representatives, Barry Mackintosh, provided his perspective as part of the presentation for HCRW. Barry said “I have been pleased and impressed by the efforts made by the project to include and engage with HD patients and family members. I know that our input has informed team decisions.”
To find out more about this study please visit the DOMINO-HD webpages here.
Kevin Brennan MP experienced a day in the life of a Cardiff University researcher, as part of the Royal Society’s pairing scheme for scientists and MPs.
On Friday 3 May, Kevin Brennan, MP for Cardiff West, spent the day with Dr Emma Yhnell and her research colleagues at the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI) and Cardiff University Brain Imaging Centre (CUBRIC). This was a reciprocal visit arranged through the Royal Society Pairing Scheme which aims to build links between parliamentarians and some of the top scientists working in the UK. The scheme provides an opportunity for policymakers and researchers to learn about each other’s responsibilities, establishing a knowledge transfer opportunity, creating cohesion between the worlds of politics, policy and science.
On the day, Kevin met with Emma and discussed her Huntington’s disease research in detail, as well as being invited on an exclusive tour of research facilities. The day included a tour of the NMHRI lab at Hadyn Ellis Building with lab manager Emma Dalton and an opportunity to see some cell cultures with PhD student Bret Saunders. Following the lab tour, Emma introduced Brennan to her colleague Mark Postans at CUBRIC a world leading brain imaging centre, where he experienced an MRI scan. Following the tour of facilities, Emma offered Kevin an opportunity to try out some of the cognitive tests she does as part of her research.
Quote kevin “It was a great pleasure to host Emma in the House of Commons and to see her research at Cardiff University. She is a great science communicator and I learned a lot to help me as a policy maker.”
The visit followed Emma spending a week in Westminster in November of last year shadowing Kevin.
Emma said “It was an honour to take part in the Royal Society Pairing Scheme, I would highly recommend this opportunity to others. My week in Westminster increased my appreciation and understanding of the contribution that scientists can make to policymaking. I’m really grateful to the Royal Society for creating this opportunity. I hope that Kevin’s reciprocal visit provided a good insight into the world leading research place at Cardiff University and particularly in the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute. The scheme also helped me to highlight the importance of science communication and new ways in which science and policy can interact.”
Professor Anne Rosser, European Huntington’s Disease Network (EHDN) Chair, gives a comprehensive interview on a new era in Huntington’s Disease Research.
Professor Rosser is co-director of the Brain Repair Group at Cardiff University School of Biosciences, Clinical Director of the Cardiff Fetal Tissue Bank and heads the South Wales clinical neurology service for Huntington’s Disease (HD). With a wealth of experience in the field, working with HD patients since 1994, Anne discusses the momentum she has seen building over the years.
In an interview with EHDN, Anne goes into detail on the challenges she faces, how she came to specialise in HD, the current status of transplantation therapies and HD as a model for neurodegenerative diseases in general.
In the article she highlights Cardiff University’s status as an important reference centre for HD and its strength in the field of neuroscience, especially given that Professor Peter Harper a clinical geneticist who worked at Cardiff University for many years, along with Professor Lesley Jones were both part of the consortium that discovered the HD gene.
To read the full interview here.
The annual Brain Games event this year took place on Sunday 10 March, marking the beginning of Brain Awareness and British Science week, with a record breaking 3,670 people making their way through the doors of the National Museum Cardiff to join in the fun.
Children getting involved with the DIY Brain Surgery show alongside esteemed neurosurgeons.
A large selection of interactive games and shows were available to the public throughout the day, explaining various scientific concepts relating to the brain and giving children an opportunity to interact and ask questions to some of Cardiff’s leading scientific community.
Games included an inflatable brain bouncy castle, stroop mat races, guessing animal brains, shrinking chair optical illusions and many more. These were supplemented with a series of shows throughout the day giving children the opportunity to practise Brain Surgery alongside qualified surgeons, learn about super hero stem cells and challenge their curiosity.
Running Cardiff University’s largest public engagement event relies heavily on the time of willing volunteers, all of whom came from varied medical and research backgrounds, offering their insights and knowledge to the budding young scientists in attendance.
Attendees braved the queues and gave us some great feedback on the day:
“I love this event, great activities and friendly, interesting people”
“Well done on a fascinating and educational event. So lovely to see the kids learning without even realising they are!”
We hope those who attended left having learnt more about the diverse research taking place at Cardiff University and feeling inspired to become the neuroscientists of the future.
Dr Emma Yhnell from the Cardiff University will be swapping a lab coat for legislation when she visits Kevin Brennan MP at the House of Commons for a week in Westminster. The week (26 – 30 November) is part of a unique pairing scheme run by the Royal Society – the UK’s national academy of science, with support from the Government Science & Engineering (GSE) profession.
During her visit Emma will shadow Kevin and learn about his work. As well as attending seminars and panel discussions about how evidence is used in policy making, Emma will also attend a mock Select Committee as well as Prime Ministers Questions.The visit will provide Emma with a behind the scenes insight into how policy is formed and how her research can be used to make evidence based decisions. It will also give Kevin the opportunity to investigate the science behind his decisions and improve their access to scientific evidence.
Emma said ‘I am delighted to be taking part in the Royal Society Pairing Scheme. It will provide an important and valuable opportunity to highlight important scientific issues in the political arena. Key areas that I want to discuss include; how new drugs for neurodegenerative diseases are approved for treatment, lack of job stability within academic research and issues related to the funding of research, engagement, innovation and education.
The Royal Society’s pairing scheme, which started in 2001, aims to build bridges between parliamentarians, civil servants and some of the best scientists in the UK.
Kevin Brennan MP will get hands on experience of Emma’s scientific research and outreach and engagement activities when he dons a lab coat to visit Emma at The Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI) in Cardiff University next year.
The Royal Society pairing scheme is in its 18th year. By the end of this year’s scheme, 456 Scientists will have taken part, shadowing a mixture of MPs, Peers, Civil Servants and Select Committee Staff. That is enough Scientists to fill the Green benches in the House of Commons, and still leave 28 standing. Previous politicians who have participated include Michael Gove, Defra Secretary, Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister, Chi Onwurah MP, Shadow Minister for Industrial Strategy, Caroline Lucas, Co-leader of the Green Party.
Cardiff University has formed a drug discovery collaboration with Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Takeda) to identify new approaches for treating schizophrenia and other psychiatric disorders.
The collaboration will combine the University’s large scale genomic data, and world-class expertise in psychiatric genetics, genomics and neuroscience, with Takeda’s extensive drug discovery and clinical development capabilities.
“Recent developments in psychiatric genetics and genomics, combined with advances in neuroscience, mean there is now a real prospect of overcoming the obstacles that have held back progress in developing new drugs for psychiatric disorders,” said Professor Lawrence Wilkinson, Scientific Director of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI) who will co-lead the partnership at Cardiff.
“Takeda’s expertise in successful drug discovery will enable our ambition to use our research to find better treatments for common brain disorders with high levels of unmet need.”
Professor Jeremy Hall, Director of the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute and co-lead, commented:
“We are committed to translating our basic and clinical research into safer and more effective treatments for patients.”
The collaboration will allow Takeda access to world-leading biological psychiatry research and the related infrastructure across the University, including the MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetic and Genomics, NMHRI, National Centre for Mental Health, and the Brain Repair and Intracranial Neurotherapeutics Unit.
“By working in partnership with world-leading scientific and clinical neuropsychiatric experts at Cardiff University we have a unique opportunity to create a new wave of medicines, that are grounded in the genomic understanding of the disease, for patients suffering from schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders,” said Ceri Davies, Head of the Neuroscience Drug Discovery Unit at Takeda.
Major psychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, autism and bipolar disorder, collectively represent an enormous unmet health need, accounting for approximately 20% of all years lost to disability globally, according to the World Health Organization.
Professor Sir Michael Owen, Director of the Medical Research Council Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics said:
“Therapeutic progress for these conditions has been limited by a lack of understanding of their primary causes, however major genetic advances in the last decade, many of which have been led by Cardiff University, have provided new and reliable insights into their biological causation. With our partner Takeda we have an unprecedented opportunity to develop novel therapeutic approaches for neuropsychiatric disorders.”
