Diagnostics Disease Mechanisms and Therapeutics

DRN neuropsychological assessment

Neuropsychological assessment for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

In this set of projects we are examining various psychological tests (e.g., that assess memory, language and attention), and combinations of these, to detect different types of dementia in the very early stages.  We are also developing new analytics to assist in the discrimination of one patient group from another. 

Contact: Dr William McGeown (william.mcgeown@strath.ac.uk) or Dr Mario Parra (). 

DRN blood sample

Blood based biomarkers for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

This project aims to develop blood-based biomarkers using a technique called vibrational spectroscopy.  This project is a collaboration between Dr William McGeown (Psychology), Dr Matthew Baker (Pure and Applied Chemistry), and Zanib Panni (student on the Biomedical Engineering EngD doctoral programme).

Contact: Dr William McGeown (william.mcgeown@strath.ac.uk). 

DRN - head and brain

Neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias

In this project line we are investigating the brain regions that are associated with symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, depressive symptoms and apathy.  For these studies high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans are used along with segmentation methods that can measure brain volume and/or cortical thickness in different brain regions. 

Contact: Dr William McGeown (william.mcgeown@strath.ac.uk).

Shuzo_light_brain_stim

Global reduction in Alzheimer’s pathology by brain stimulation

In this project we are investigating a prevention strategy for Alzheimer’s using light to control brainwaves. This project also concerns both neural and immune responses to the brain stimulation of the cholinergic system in a preclinical setting.

Contact: Dr Shuzo Sakata (shuzo.sakata@strath.ac.uk). 

DRN microfluidics

Enabling Novel Research in Neuroscience through Microfluidics

Technological advances can drive forward our understanding of how neuronal function and communication is affected in central nervous system (CNS) disorders. In particular, miniaturised in vitro procedures enable greater control over the formation of simplified neuronal networks that mimic in vivo conditions, as well as the enhanced capability to test neuronal functionality to address neuronal network communication whilst inducing disease conditions. Development of such systems will be a significant step forward in CNS drug discovery studies, as well as allowing the investigation of cellular and sub-cellular activity under conditions mimicking those proposed to underlie CNS disorders.

Contact: Dr Trevor Bushell (trevor.bushell@strath.ac.uk), Dr Michele Zagnoni (michele.zagnoni@strath.ac.uk).

inflammation

Alzheimer’s disease and neuroinflammation: a novel target to ameliorate disease progression?

There is intense interest in the role of neuroinflammation in the onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease with recent evidence proposing that modulation of the brain’s innate immune response may impair disease progression in disease models.  We are combining our expertise of synaptic transmission and plasticity, systems neuroscience and immunology to examine whether further the mechanisms that are involved in immune system modulation and disease onset and progression. 

Contact: Dr Trevor Bushell (trevor.bushell@strath.ac.uk); Dr Shuzo Sakata (shuzo.sakata@strath.ac.uk); Dr Hui-Rong Jiang (huirong.jiang@strath.ac.uk)