News from the Medical Research Council network Winter 2014 Beyond the brain Exploring a new dimension for research

Investing in the brightest minds Career updates from MRC Centenary Award holders The future of is imaging Opinion from Professor Irene Tracey

Network can also be downloaded as a PDF at: www.mrc.ac.uk/network Network survey We are keen to receive feedback on the type of news you want to see in Network, suggestions for new features and whether you go online to read more. To share CONTENTS NEWS your views complete our Network survey: survey.mrc.ac.uk/networksurvey comment from News Increasing investment Increasing investment for dementias research 3 Fresh direction for the future 5 John for dementias research Making sense of drug safety science 6 The MRC’s pledge to increase funding for dementias research was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron at the G8 summit on Savill held in London in December. Speaking at the summit, Mr chief Executive Cameron said: “I want 2013 to go down as the day that the global People fight-back began – not just on finding a cure for dementia, but preventing it, delaying it and critically – helping those with dementia to 21st Nobel Prize for MRC-funded scientists 7 Clinical research isn’t just about live well, and live with dignity”. testing new drugs, diagnostics and devices in patients; it’s also The MRC has committed almost £100m new funding for a range of about studying disease processes research initiatives to boost dementias research. at the molecular, cellular, organ and whole-body level to gain The UK Dementias Research Platform (UKDP) is a unique approach to Latest discoveries new insights into disease. To do this, we need cutting-edge dementias research, looking beyond the brain. The platform is a Compound arrests in mice 12 technology, from advanced body public-private partnership which aims to improve detection of Other investments include genotyping all 500,000 UK Biobank imaging techniques and new pre-symptomatic and early stage neurodegenerative disease. GSK is participants, with the Department of Health; renewed funding for the New light shone on consciousness 12 ways to monitor physiology, to the first industry partner to commit funding to the platform. MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit in Cambridge for dementia methods for studying the intricacies of cells and tissue research; and genotyping and imaging of brain tissue samples from outside the body. The MRC is co-funding, with the National Institute for Health MRC-funded brain banks. Research, a feasibility study for the UKDP to determine whether That’s why in November we invited expressions of interest people with early-stage neurodegenerative disease would be willing To find out more about the UK Dementias Platform turn to page 8 Funding to the MRC’s ‘Enhancing the UK’s Clinical Research to participate in innovative phenotyping studies, involving intensive and for more information see our website at: Capabilities and Technologies’ initiative. In partnership physiological assessments. www.mrc.ac.uk/dementias-research with the Department of Health, the Wellcome Trust, Imaging investment for UK Biobank 20 CRUK, BHF, ARUK, BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC and devolved administrations, we will make over £150m available Funding more research for human health 21 for investment in new technologies to address major scientific challenges, relating to the stratification of diseases or experimental studies in humans. Investments will be aligned with academic research strengths and institutional clinical structures. Understanding animal research Features As well as capital, funds are available to fully exploit A BBC five live documentary broadcast from MRC Harwell has In late 2013, Understanding Animal Research provided an technologies, piloting new uses and exploring new areas won the Live journalism – radio category at the 2013 international opportunity for the public to comment on draft guidance for Beyond the brain: a new dementia research dimension 8 in clinical research. Institutions are also encouraged to broadcasting awards. how organisations could be more open about the ways in which seek partnerships with industry and complement existing animals are used in scientific, medical or veterinary research in the Saving the brain from itself 10 infrastructure investments. Facilities will be available The programme, the Victoria Derbyshire Show, was an example of UK. In collaboration with the MRC, the British Pharmacological as part of the national science base – putting clinical how openness can provide excellent opportunities to talk about Society and supported by Sciencewise, Understanding Animal Investing in the brightest minds 14 research at the heart of the UK life sciences. animal research. The judges described the documentary as “classic Research conducted a public dialogue project which informed the Rising to the global challenge 16 Sir John Savill investigative journalism and in-depth reporting, well-balanced and Concordat on Openness. Following the public consultation, the draft MRC Chief Executive thoroughly researched”. concordat will be refined and a final version published in early 2014. My work space: Professor Jimmy Bell 18 Read more information on the Concordat on Openness here: Opinion: The future of neuroscience is imaging 22 mrc.io/uar-concordat. Listen to the award-winning programme online: mrc.io/victoriaderbyshire

2 | MRC Network MRC Network | 3 NEWS

Three decades of sex surveys revealed Fresh direction for the future The refreshed Strategic Plan Research Changes Lives 2014–2019, launched at the MRC 100 The third National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles of the conversation we have with people about our health.” years of international collaboration event at the Royal Society in December, sets out our (Natsal) survey provides the most detailed picture yet of the Six papers are published online in a special issue of The Lancet: strategy for the next five years. British population’s sex lives over the past 10 years. mrc.io/natsal-comment It describes how, through the support of excellent discovery science and effective As the largest scientific study of sexual health and lifestyles in partnerships, we strive to secure tangible impact from MRC research. Views from Britain, the first Natsal survey was undertaken in 1990 and the stakeholders and the wider research community informed its development, ensuring that second in 1999. The researchers, part-funded by the MRC from we continue to build on our strengths and achievements of the last century. Looking to the University College London (UCL), the London School of Hygiene future, the strategic plan sets out our priorities to accelerate the pace of improvements in health, stimulate economic growth, encourage partnerships and communicate our vision and Tropical Medicine, and NatCen Social Research, interviewed for addressing health and wealth to the public. over 15,000 adults aged 16-74 between September 2010 and August 2012. Read Research Changes Lives 2014–2019 at: www.mrc.ac.uk/strategicplan

Studying this large sample of people living in Britain has shown how Turn to page 17 to read more about the MRC 100 years of international collaboration event sexual attitudes and lifestyles have changed dramatically in the last 60 years. Principal Investigator Professor Dame Anne Johnson of UCL, said: “This new information will help to guide the sexual health and education services that people may need at different stages of their lives. We need to do more to create an environment in which See the full infographic at: mrc.io/natsal-stats and a video it is easier for people to discuss sexual well-being as an integral part describing the survey here: mrc.io/natsal-interview

MRC Centenary celebrated in Scottish Parliament

1913-2013 Music, dancing, listening, concerts, clubs, cabarets: A debate to celebrate the MRC Centenary was held in the Scottish Parliament on 26 November. The motion ‘The future of medical How does your listening past affect your hearing future? research funding in Scotland remains strong’ was addressed by eight MSPs. The debate was supported by the Scottish Our second mass public participation project A Century of Amplified Music, run in Conservative and Unionist party’s Murdo Fraser, regional MSP for conjunction with the Medical Research Foundation, is now live and you are invited Mid-Scotland and Fife. Research reflections to take part online.

The Scottish National Party (SNP) Government had released their White To commemorate the MRC Centenary year, the The experiment asks about your music listening habits over the years, and gives Paper on Independence earlier the same day and so it was natural that in International Journal of Epidemiology has you the opportunity to do a short listening experiment, called a speech-in-noise addition to listing the achievements of MRC-funded researchers working featured publications from the past in their test, which gives a measurement of your ability to identify words in a background in Scotland, the future source of funding, should Scotland achieve ‘Reprints and Reflections series’ which are of of noise. By taking part, you will help MRC Institute of Hearing Research scientists independence, was addressed. They stated they wish to negotiate importance to researchers and the MRC today. learn more about hearing loss. The experiment is open to everyone, whether continued funding from the UK research councils post-independence. Each paper is accompanied by commentaries you’ve spent lots of time listening to music or not. The more people who share from relevant researchers. their listening life with us, the better the science will be. Read the transcript of the debate online: mrc.io/scottish-parliament Read the papers online at: mrc.io/ije-series Take part at www.100yearsofamplifiedmusic.org

Scanning electron micrograph of the organ of Corti, from the cochlea of the inner ear. 4 | MRC Network MRC Network | 5 News PEOPLE

Funding boost for cognitive 10th birthday bash for 21st Nobel Prize for MRC-funded scientists

ageing research in Scotland Bristol Neuroscience Three alumni from the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (LMB) were awarded the 2013 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Professor Michael Levitt, Professor Arieh Warshel and The Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Professor Martin Karplus won the prize for the development of multi-scale models enabling Epidemiology (CCACE), led by Professor Ian Deary at The MRC-funded researchers engaged the public in a deeper understanding of how chemical processes happen. University of Edinburgh, has been funded by the Lifelong a wide range of interactive sessions at the Bristol Health and Wellbeing (LLHW) cross-council research Neuroscience Festival in October, celebrating the A key part of the research was undertaken in the Structural Studies Division of the LMB in the initiative for another five years; LLHW will contribute 10th anniversary of Bristol Neuroscience. 1970s. Michael Levitt came to the LMB as a PhD student in 1968, having first met Arieh Warshel £3.5m, with the university and other partners investing while working as a visitor at the Weizmann Institute, Israel. Martin Karplus, who had a research an additional £5.5m. group in Harvard, was a visitor to the LMB from 1969 to 1970. Their work has been built upon to enable modern chemists to simulate complex chemical reactions on a computer. In his renewal bid, Professor Deary highlighted the centre’s unique focus on normal age-related cognitive The award takes the total number of Nobel Prizes awarded for work undertaken at the LMB to 10 decline. Cognitive decline, including dementia, is a and the total number of prizes awarded to MRC-funded scientists in its 100-year history to 21. huge cost to society. CCACE researchers hope that by studying basic age-related changes in the brain, they will Watch our series of Centenary films highlighting the discoveries of some MRC Nobel Prize contribute useful knowledge toward ameliorating the winners at: mrc.io/centenary-films onset, progress and impact of cognitive decline in the Nobel Prize-winner and LMB alumni, Professor Michael Levitt. long term. New director roles for Find out more at: www.ccace.ed.ac.uk Researchers offered their advice about the MRC in Africa careers in neuroscience to the public.

A huge inflatable brain welcomed Professor Umberto Wishing a fond farewell to Wendy Ewart people into the festival. D’Alessandro has been appointed Director of the MRC Unit in Dr Wendy Ewart retires at the end of Making sense of Over 3,000 members of the public heard from world-leading The Gambia, and Professor of March 2014 after six years at the MRC as academics and took part in hands-on activities and experiments. Epidemiology in the Department of both Director and Chief of Strategy. She drug safety science Researchers from the Centre for Synaptic Plasticity (MRC centre Disease Control, within the Faculty also took on the additional role of Deputy from 1999-2012) and the Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, Chief Executive from January 2012. Among Why do drugs have side effects and what can be done about part of the new MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the at the London School of Hygiene & her enormous contributions to the MRC, them? A guide to answer these questions has been produced University of Bristol, led activities including ‘knit-a-’ and Tropical Medicine. Professor Umberto D’Alessandro Wendy led the creation of the MRC’s by Sense about Science, in collaboration with the MRC Centre testing reactivity to environmental cues such as cigarette and Strategic Plan for 2009–2014, Research for Drug Safety Science at the University of Liverpool. Making alcohol packaging. Professor Tumani Corrah stepped down from the role of Unit Changes Lives, and played a key role in Sense of Drug Safety Science now features on the NICE Director, which he held since 2004, to take up a new position of supporting the development of Medicines Prescribing alert service. MRC-funded final year PhD student Sarah Scullion demonstrated MRC Director of Africa Research Development. In this role he will Researchfish, the mechanism for gathering how the heart rate of a daphnia flea is altered by alcohol: play a key part in consolidating and enhancing the MRC’s presence research outcomes and achievements. Welcoming the guide, Chief Pharmaceutical Officer Dr Keith “The school kids really loved it, especially the really young ones. in Africa, acting as the main pan-Africa point of contact and Ridge from the Department of Health said: “We need to I asked them to guess which one they thought was the drunk forging strong partnerships with other health-related institutions. Dr Jim Smith, Director of the MRC National understand more about side effects and who will be at risk flea. It’s been really rewarding”. Richard Apps, Professor of Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), in order to use a wider number of existing drugs safely, Neuroscience at Bristol University and Director of Bristol Umberto is a clinical epidemiologist with specialist training in will take on the role of MRC Deputy Chief develop new drugs more effectively, and allocate healthcare Neuroscience said: “The success of the festival is a measure public health, and extensive experience of working in Africa and Executive and Chief of Strategy from funds more efficiently.” of the genuine enthusiasm and excitement of the volunteers. Asia. He led the evaluation of the national bed net programme 1 April 2014, as well as becoming the MRC’s Scientists enjoy being able to talk about their work to the public based in Farafenni, The Gambia, for three years and ran a malaria representative on the Board of the Francis The guide is available at: mrc.io/drug-safety-science and it helps to have a structure in which to do it.” vaccine clinical trial in Basse. After setting up the Unit of Crick Institute. He will remain active at Epidemiology and Control of Parasitic Diseases at the Institute of his NIMR research laboratory alongside his Find out more at: mrc.io/bristolneuroscience Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, he then returned to The Gambia in new role. January 2011 as Theme Leader of Disease Control & Elimination.

6 | MRC Network MRC Network | 7 FEATure Read about latest discoveries for UK dementias research on page 12

had assessments of their physiology and behavioural patterns over many So how will these large volumes of data be managed? Using the expertise years; they will provide a set of well-characterised data with linked of MRC infrastructures and investment, such as the Farr Institute for biosamples for the platform. “By bringing together all of our cohorts in the e-health informatics, the MRC NIHR Phenome Centre and the UK Brain Beyond UK, we’ll gain statistical power so that we can focus on the early phases of Banks network, large amounts of data generated through the UKDP will the cognitive decline, and identify people who are most at risk. We’ll do this for be analysed. Data sharing protocols and consenting arrangements will be scientists who want to use the platform, to make it easy to use”, says John. progressed to facilitate this collaboration through use of a single ‘portal’, with robust access mechanisms and suitably anonymised data. brain Crucially, the combined cohorts will provide the foundation for future a new dementia research dimension experimental medicine studies; participants will be asked for their It’s no small undertaking to collaborate on this scale. But John sees The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases is an increasing burden on families and societies consent to be approached for these studies. Experimental medicine facilitating national and international collaborative relationships as an studies will be aimed at early detection of the dementias and assess exciting opportunity and, “a way of encouraging the best ideas out of worldwide. But a unique approach, which looks not just at the brain but at the whole body, biomarkers of clinical progression. They will offer the opportunity for all stakeholders”. development of experimental tools and resources. At later stages, there is offering a new dimension in the drive to defeat dementia. Isabel Baker reports. may be opportunities to trial new therapeutic agents for the treatment, Commenting on the UKDP, Catherine Moody, MRC Programme Manager and ultimately prevention, of dementia. for neurodegeneration and says: “I’ve been working on this new April 2014 will see the expected launch of the UK Dementias Research potentially new ways of intervention. Over the last 25 years a lot of work development from the start and it is exciting to see it come into being Platform (UKDP), a powerful new programme to accelerate progress in has gone into studying end-stage disease and potential interventions to Central to the UKDP is the UK Biobank cohort. John has been involved in – the platform will be a powerful new resource for dementias research dementias research. As an ambitious public-private partnership, the UKDP target rapid decline. However, we still understand very little about developing an online questionnaire for UK Biobank participants, which will and patient benefit.” will unite a wealth of partners and knowledge in a fresh drive to early-stage disease and it’s time to use a systematic approach. As we age, measure cognitive function online to allow early symptom identification understand neurodegenerative disease onset and progression, looking our bodies develop physiological problems – or co-morbidities – for cognitive decline. There are also plans for brain imaging studies of Look out for updates on the launch of the UKDP in the spring edition of beyond the brain. associated with changes in our cognition. By taking a more holistic view, 100,000 participants and the whole cohort of 500,000 people will be Network, to be published in April. this might give insights into the drivers of disease progression.” genotyped from 2014. Combining a whole-body approach, involving the detailed study of physiological characteristics, with statistical power, it will integrate UK Partnerships between pharmaceutical companies, small and medium-sized strengths in neuroscience, population science and clinical research businesses (SMEs) and academia, will be key to the success of the platform, capability. £5m of MRC funding was announced in December, to drive to deliver improved treatment and care for people with dementias. Dr John the first stage of the UKDP forward, towards a total investment of £12m. Gallacher, a cognitive scientist and epidemiologist at Cardiff University School of Medicine, is leading the platform and talks about the power of Professor Hugh Perry, Professor of experimental neuropathology at the partnership: “The pharmaceutical industry brings new ideas and a fresh University of Southampton, and Chair of the MRC Neuroscience and approach to problem-solving, productivity and translation. As academics Mental Health Board, explains what’s unique about the approach: “The we can bring added creativity, a sense of lateral thinking and precision. platform offers a new way of looking at neurodegenerative disease and Ultimately, great ideas need to be turned into patient benefits.”

Companies have been involved in the design of the platform, enabling a Goals for the UKDP: 10 years and beyond credible translational approach, and there will be opportunities available to all involved. Commenting on the opportunities offered by the platform Short term to industry, Paul Wren, Director of Neurodegeneration, GlaxoSmithKline • Establish well-characterised cohorts to use for stratification R&D says: “Partnership offers a real opportunity to collectively increase • Combine physiological data with genetics and imaging our understanding of the etiology and progressive nature of dementia, enabling well characterized cohorts to become available for experimental Mid term medicine studies. This will facilitate drug development of novel • Convert cohort subgroups to intervention platforms for therapeutics that can ultimately slow, halt or even prevent dementia.” experimental medicine • Stratify individuals already at high risk of familial Giving a perspective from SME IXICO, CEO Derek Hill says: “For smaller neurodegeneration for intervention studies (eg diet, lifestyle companies, the chance to work as partners alongside pharmaceutical or social changes) companies and academics offers a golden opportunity to increase our expertise, and enhance our international competitiveness.” Long term • Develop and test new biomarkers for early diagnosis Cohort studies, many of them MRC-funded, will play a major role in the • Test new treatments to modify disease progression platform, covering nearly two million participants. With funding and broad consent already in place, these cohorts are made up of subjects who have

Brain white matter tracts in the brain of a Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 participant. 8 | MRC Network MRC Network | 9 FEATure

Once dead, these cells will spill out their own chemical messengers in turn, kindling a damaging cascade that just keeps rolling – a rot the brain spreading injury through the brain. Max Perutz Award: What happened next? Saving from The drug we believe capable of stopping this secondary damage is a naturally occurring gas called xenon – a member of the family of noble Since winning the award Scott has been busy dividing gases, known by every GCSE chemistry student to be chemically inert. his time between writing his PhD thesis, and public Much less well known is that once inside your body, xenon is engagement activities with members of his lab at itself biologically active: breathe it in and this supposedly un-reactive gas is both anaesthetic and analgesic – will both put you to sleep and prevent Imperial, including ‘Science Uncovered’ in September you from feeling pain. Xenon has these effects by blocking the 2013 at London’s Natural History Museum. This is one The 2013 Max Perutz Science Writing Award was won by MRC PhD student Scott activation of a particular cell receptor called the NMDA receptor, the of the museum’s biggest after-hours events, attended Armstrong from . In his winning article he tells us about very same receptor that is so crucially involved in the spreading damage by 8,500 visitors, and part of an EU-funded European after a traumatic injury. Researcher’s Day with events taking place his efforts to use xenon gas to combat the brain damage caused by head injuries. . We believe that by blocking the overloading of these receptors that simultaneously throughout Europe occurs after a traumatic injury, xenon is able to prevent the biochemical Close your eyes and picture a high-speed car crash. An elderly relative to the head comprises a relatively small proportion of the total damage confusion of brain cells and thus prevent them from proceeding along Looking to the future he is keeping all of his options open, but is taking a tumble down the stairs. Muhammad Ali flooring Sonny Liston, the brain will eventually suffer. What actually happens is that in the the pathway to cell death – is able to save the brain cells from killing interested in intellectual property law as a way to combine his or just another late night punch-up on the streets of Soho. The minutes, hours, and even days following that blow, damage spreads themselves. It was in fact this serendipitous story of a chemical interest in science with a legal career. The award complements his common feature here is a traumatic injury to the head, resulting across and into the brain, as a rot spreads through an apple. It is this element practically defined by its inability to undergo chemical applications to patent law companies, who require strong ultimately in damage to the brain. Such incidents are collected together damage that occurs after the physical insult that is responsible for the reactions having such a profound biological effect that first drew me communication skills in addition to scientific competence. In the under the medical definition of ‘traumatic brain injury’ – a silent major burden of injury and the majority of deaths associated with brain to research in traumatic brain injury. future he’d like to start his own business, to draw on some of his epidemic responsible for close to a million visits to A&E each year, and trauma – reflected in the fact that a large percentage of trauma deaths creative interests in illustration and design. the leading cause of death and disability in under 45s in the developed occur weeks after the event. The World Health Organization predicts that brain trauma will surpass world. An epidemic which represents a major unmet clinical need, given many other diseases as the major cause of death and disability by the that there are currently no drugs available to arrest the injury processes The significant point here is that if the majority of brain damage occurs year 2020, largely as a result of car ownership in developing nations. particular to this type of brain damage. after the blow to the head, then there is scope for medical science to Despite this, the condition remains relatively unknown in the public intervene: to attempt to lessen or even halt the spread of damage. consciousness, and with no drugs yet available to arrest the spreading The fascinating thing about the sort of brain damage observed in a Within my research group, we try to do just that; first by understanding secondary injury particular to this kind of brain damage, research in the traumatic injury is that the damage caused by the initial, physical blow the biological mechanisms underlying the spreading damage, and then field of traumatic brain injury – saving the brain from itself – has never investigating a novel drug treatment that we believe can slow it down. mattered more.

Xenon in the NMDA receptor glycine-binding site. Anesthesiology (2012) Volume 117, p38. The reasons underlying secondary, spreading brain damage are many and complex, but one particularly important component of the spread is a damaging biochemical cascade initiated in the brain as a result of the physical blow. In the normal scenario our brains cells communicate “If the majority of brain by throwing chemical messengers at each other across a miniscule junction; one brain cell will throw the messenger and another will damage occurs after receive it in a sort of catcher’s mitt specific to that chemical, called a receptor. Activation of the receptor by the messenger triggers a change in the internal biochemistry of the receiving brain cell, and the signal is the blow to the head, carried onward. This goes on all the time and is perfectly normal. Scott (far right) with group members, Katie Harris, Rita Campos-Pires and group leader Robert Dickinson, at ‘Science Uncovered’. However, in the case of traumatic injury, brain cells near the site of the physical blow are torn open, allowing those messengers to flood out then there is scope and go where they please. Read more about the public engagement activities of the lab where Scott works at: mrc.io/scottarmstrong The net result is an overloading of the receptors on neighbouring for medical science brain cells, which then become biochemically confused and begin to die from the inside out: brain cells killing themselves, essentially. to intervene.”

10 | MRC Network MRC Network | 11 Read about more MRC-funded discoveries in the 2013 LATEST discoveries Annual Review: www.annualreview13.mrc.ac.uk

Compound arrests New light shone on consciousness Breast cancer test offers new hope Gene could offer clues neurodegeneration in mice to alcoholism Researchers from the MRC Toxicology Unit have Researchers at the University of Oxford in the Centre Dr Andy Green and his team at the University of MRC research has identified a gene mutation discovered a new compound which prevents for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Nottingham have developed a method that screens linked to excessive drinking. It was identified by neurodegeneration in the brains of mice with Brain (FMRIB), part-funded by the MRC, have shown for 10 key proteins that identify seven different researchers from the MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit disease. Prion disease provides the best animal that measuring slow-wave activity in the brain during biological types of breast cancer. at Harwell, in collaboration with researchers from model of human neurodegenerative disorders, anaesthesia offers a clear picture of degrees of Imperial College London, Newcastle University, perceptual awareness. With support from the MRC, in collaboration with Nottingham including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Prognostics Limited, the scientists looked for the “signature” of each Sussex University, University College London and The researchers administered a standard anaesthetic, propofol, to 16 class of cancer in 1,073 tumour samples from a tissue bank; 93 per University of Dundee. Build-up of misfolded proteins in the brains of mice with prion disease subjects while exposing them to different stimuli and recording the cent fitted into one of seven classes. The seven classes are defined by over-activates a natural defence mechanism in cells. This switches off brain’s electrical activity using electroencephalography (EEG). By different combinations and levels of 10 proteins. They include two A team led by Professor Howard Thomas, Imperial College London, the production of new proteins, leading to brain cell death due to measuring slow-wave activity, they identified common patterns of proteins routinely identified in breast cancer cells – the oestrogen identified the gene, Gabrb1. Mice carrying either of two single point build-up of misshapen protein which keeps the switch turned ‘off’. behaviour among the group as they lost consciousness. These receptor (ER) and HER2 – as well as others not currently tested, such as mutations preferred drinking alcohol (about the strength of wine) behaviours happened at different times unique to each individual p53, cytokeratins, HER3 and HER4a. The diagnostic test uses these over water. They would work for alcohol by pushing a lever and carry The researchers gave an oral drug-like compound to prion-infected offering the potential for personalised dosing of anaesthetic. fMRI seven distinct classes and could be ready for use in the clinic in as little on for longer durations than normal mice. Gabrb1 codes for the mice, which acted by blocking the off-switch. It was able to enter the revealed that there is an optimum depth of anaesthesia, beyond as two years. beta 1 subunit of the GABAA receptor in the brain. The mutation brain from the bloodstream and halt the disease throughout the which no further anaesthetic is needed. caused the receptor to activate in the absence of the inhibitory whole brain. Dr Green said that as treatment options available for breast cancer chemical messenger, GABA. Professor Irene Tracey, Director of the FMRIB at the University of patients increase, decision-making regarding the choice of the most Professor Giovanna Mallucci, Programme Leader for mechanisms of Oxford and senior author of the paper, said: “Despite the hundreds of appropriate treatment method is becoming increasingly complex: Dr Quentin Anstee, Consultant Hepatologist at Newcastle University, neurotoxicity, who led the team said: “We were extremely excited thousands of anaesthetics administered daily to patients, remarkably “Improvements in care and outcome for patients with breast cancer joint lead author said: “It’s amazing that a small change in the code for when we saw the treatment stop the disease in its tracks and protect there is no robust, individualised indicator of perceptual awareness will involve improved targeting of effective therapies to appropriate just one gene can have such profound effects on complex behaviours brain cells, restoring some normal behaviours and preventing memory available. While we can indirectly gauge whether a patient physically patients. Equally important should be improvement in parallel like alcohol consumption. We are continuing our work to establish loss in the mice. We’re still a long way from a usable drug for humans responds to their environment, this imaging method offers a much strategies to avoid unnecessary or inappropriate treatment and whether the gene has a similar influence in humans, though we – this compound had serious side effects. But establishing that this more nuanced approach. The next stage in the development of this side effects.” know that in people, alcoholism is much more complicated as pathway can be manipulated to protect against brain cell loss means method will be to see if it is similarly illuminating when we monitor environmental factors come into play. But there is the real potential that developing drug treatments that target this pathway for prion anaesthetised patients undergoing surgery.” Published online at www.nature.com/bjc/index.html, October 2013 for this to guide development of better treatments for alcoholism in and other neurodegenerative diseases is now a real possibility.” the future.” Science Translational Medicine (2013) Volume 5, p208. Science Translational Medicine (2013) Volume 5, p206. Nature Communications (2013) Volume 4, p2816. To read Irene’s opinion piece on what imaging can tell us about the To find out about the MRC’s new approach to dementia research, brain, turn to page 22. turn to page 8.

12 | MRC Network MRC Network | 13 To find out about other Centenary Award holders FEATURE visit our blog at: www.insight.mrc.ac.uk To mark a century of achievement, the MRC Dr Claire Haworth and Dr Oliver Davis awarded £14.2m in MRC Centenary Awards to allow some of our best and brightest early career Investing researchers to accelerate their research and in the transform their career development. The awards enabled successful applicants to build on their existing MRC-funded research or explore new minds areas of medical science. We asked five of these brightest researchers how the awards benefited their careers. “Our study is one of the first to track behaviour and mental health outcomes over time, in an online social network. Twitter provides a time-sensitive window into an individual’s emotional reaction to the world, but little is currently known about the impact social Dr Jonathan Hiorns Dr Shankar Varadarajan Dr Alan Groves support on Twitter can have on mental health and wellbeing. Accessing information on 2,500 twins in the Twins Early “The difficulty with asthma “During my Career Development Fellowship I “The award enabled my centre to Development Study (TEDS), an MRC cohort established in 1994, treatment is that the cause evaluated the potency of several BCL-2 family become the first in Europe to assess enabled us to use twin data as a control for genetic influence. of breathing problems varies antagonists for use in cancer chemotherapy. heart function in premature newborn between different people, As part of the award, I received training on infants via non-invasive, trend- “We collected and analysed text and linguistics in over three million and there isn’t any live-cell imaging using spinning disk confocal monitoring software, to predict tweets, using an automated sentiment processer, to record twins’ medication that is effective microscopy in Professor Tomas Kirchhausen’s infection, allow early treatment and emotional responses to local, national and international life events, in all cases. Through a laboratory at Harvard Medical School. This reduce further complications. The in real time. The award enabled us to collect new, independent 12-week visit to the training helped me in contributing towards a software calculates variability in heart data on a well-characterised sample.” Laboratory of Professor J. Fredberg at Harvard School publication in Molecular Biology of the Cell (Lu et al 2013). rate from routinely-used equipment in the neonatal intensive of Public Health, I developed imaging techniques to care environment; low variability is associated with early What’s next? analyse how asthma affects the airways, and made “During the award, with the encouragement of Professor Kirchhausen, I infection, resulting in a high-risk score. Claire has since secured an Associate Professorship at the comparisons between the experimental data and my changed my research direction to work on crosstalk mechanisms between University of Warwick; she continues to use text analysis to mathematical models.” endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria, as well as other organelles found “I studied a small group of infants in the neonatal unit at understand wellbeing. Oliver has been appointed Senior Research in the cell. During my stay at Harvard, I established collaborations with King’s College over a five month period, looking for clinical signs Fellow at UCL Genetics Institute; he is using big data to understand What’s next? other scientists in Harvard and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, which of sepsis and assessing whether ‘spikes’ in heart rate risk score genomes in developmental and environmental contexts. The award helped strengthen collaborations and helped me publish some articles in Cell Death and Differentiation and can reliably predict infection. I implemented new IT and research links between Nottingham and Harvard. Neoplasia (Varadarajan et al 2013).” statistical approaches into my research, in order to analyse the Careers in brief Jonathan is planning to write a paper about how he neonatal population.” Dr Claire Haworth: used the novel imaging techniques for data analysis. What’s next? • BA in Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford Following the award, he has accepted a role at the Shankar was recently recruited on a Tenure-Track Fellowship at the Institute What’s next? • MSc and PhD MRC Studentship, MRC Social, Genetic and University of Manchester to work on AirPROM, an of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool. He aims to extend his The award has facilitated new international collaborations Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London EU-funded project that is bringing together clinical research into BCL-2 family antagonists and apoptosis, as well as between researchers at King’s College and bioengineers in the • Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Fellowship, MRC/ESRC findings and computational modelling, with the aim of understanding other cellular stress mechanisms in disease pathology. He is UK, with neonatologists and cardiologists in Virginia and New York • Research Fellowship, British Academy building multi-scale computational models of the lung currently in the process of establishing his own research group at the in the USA. Alan has since taken up a post as an Assistant • Associate Professor, University of Warwick to characterise asthma and chronic obstructive University of Liverpool. Professor at Cornell University in the USA. He plans to continue pulmonary disease. his research into improving assessment and care of premature Dr Oliver Davis: Career in brief newborn infants. • BA in Natural Sciences, Career in brief • BSc in Pharmacy, The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University, • MSc and PhD MRC Studentship, MRC Social, Genetic and • MMath in Mathematics Chennai, India Career in brief Developmental Psychiatry Centre, King’s College London • MRC PhD student, University of Nottingham • ME in Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, • BSc in Physiology • Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowship, Wellcome Trust Pilani, India • Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB ChB) • Senior Research Fellow, University College London Read more about AirPROM at: mrc.io/airprom • PhD in Cellular and Molecular Biology, University of Texas at Austin, USA • Specialist training in Neonatal Medicine • Career Development Fellowship, MRC Toxicology Unit, Leicester, UK • Senior Lecturer, Imperial College London To find out more about their research, follow them and TEDS on • Tenure-Track Fellowship (leading to Lectureship), • MRC Clinician Scientist, Imperial College and Twitter: @cmahaworth, @oligotweet and @TedsProject University of Liverpool, UK King’s College London

14 | MRC Network MRC Network | 15 For more information about the role of international collaboration in future MRC strategy, read FEATURE the new strategic plan Research Changes Lives 2014–2019: www.mrc.ac.uk/strategicplan

What role does the MRC have in international collaboration? clinical data, personalisation of medicine, advanced therapies and Rising to the Over 100 years we have gained a great deal of experience and expertise regenerative medicine will all progress faster when tackled globally. UK in research and research management, which visiting delegations from investments in bioinformatics through the European research overseas are keen to learn about. Our international strategy can be infrastructure, ELIXIR, will enable researchers to analyse larger data sets summarised in three words: partnership, leadership and influence. in increasingly sophisticated ways. The globalisation of ideas in e-health, global challenge such as smart phone apps and telemedicine, are changing the way we Our partnerships may be bilateral such as agreements we have with the think about patient care in an ageing population. Department for International Development on global health research, Tackling human health problems around the Has MRC-funded research always been international? or multilateral such as the European partnership that supports the Going Global, the third of the MRC’s four strategic aims in Research Yes, science is global, it’s an international activity. There has always European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the global Changes Lives 2014–2019, sets out the framework in which we will world demands a global response. With a been the exchange of ideas between people working in science, and partnership that supports the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP).. continue to ensure that the MRC’s international strategy can support 100 year history of strategic international these shared ideas spark new innovations and understanding. Science is the researchers that we fund and advance medical research for the about trying to progress knowledge. Increasingly, pooling resources We can provide leadership through active engagement in these benefit of all. collaboration, MRC scientists today allows us to solve problems that we couldn’t tackle alone. partnerships. For example, last year I was appointed as chair of the collaborate with researchers in more than Governing Council of the International Agency for Cancer (IARC) and As told to Isabel Baker Why collaborate on an international scale? also of the General Assembly of the European and Developing 100 countries. Dr Mark Palmer, MRC Firstly, health and diseases don’t recognise borders. Pandemic infections, Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP). To find out more about international funding opportunities turn to Director of International Strategy, talks for example, can only be tackled by taking a global approach. For many page 20. diseases it is also essential that research is conducted in those countries The MRC exerts its influence through shaping international research about the changing landscape of where the disease is prevalent. Secondly, many clinical studies may need policy or regulatory processes. For example our contributions to the large cohorts of patients; in particular when the disease is rare, research discussion on the revised European clinical trials directive, our work on international collaboration and the cannot be conducted in one country alone. Additionally, international open access and research integrity or advice to the European Commission Celebrating international collaboration exciting new opportunities it has to offer. collaboration can give researchers the chance to work in a different on the development of its framework programmes for research. political, regulatory or intellectual environment where different approaches have been made to problem solving. Exposure to a different Is the landscape for research continuing to change? way of thinking, and seeing how other people work, can be hugely In global health research we are now seeing a greater emphasis on beneficial to progressing research in our own country. non-communicable diseases, reflecting the changing global burden of disease. We are pleased that the MRC has been one of the founding Has the MRC’s work internationally changed members of the Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases that has developed over the last 100 years? new research strategies to tackle non-communicable diseases. War and empire provided the contexts for the early years of MRC research and undoubtedly shaped both the focus of our overseas At the same time there has been a significant increase in investment in activities and the countries with which we partnered. The world has research from countries, particularly in Asia and South America, that changed in so many ways and there are many new drivers for were not previously so research active. China, India, South Korea, research. Collaboration has been facilitated by easier Singapore and countries in South America are creating a new focus for international travel, communications and the internet, innovative ideas and knowledge that has changed the traditional as well as technological advances underpinning the post-war landscape of science and innovation. They’ve been investing The MRC 100 years of international collaboration event, at the Royal research. Nevertheless it is fascinating to see that because they see opportunities to harness ideas from innovation to Society in December, was an opportunity to celebrate a century of international collaboration has featured boost their economy. international achievements. Dr Dianne Newbury, Wellcome Trust consistently throughout all MRC annual Centre for Human Genetics at the University of Oxford and Dr Pia reports from the very beginning. Our role in head office is to ensure that UK researchers can establish new Constanza Villanueva from the University of Chile were links with these countries to develop collaborations. For example, the announced as the winners of the early-career researchers poster MRC manages offices in Beijing and Delhi on behalf of the UK Research competition. Dianne and Pia demonstrated how and why Councils which has opened up many new opportunities for collaboration. international collaboration has played an important role in their research. Dr Mark Palmer, Dr Wendy Ewart and Dr Jim Smith were on How will these developments help to advance the judging panel. medical research? All aspects of medical research benefit from international collaboration. Find out more about their collaboration at: www.insight.mrc.ac.uk Indeed we know that research publications with international authorship have overall higher impact factors. New advances in the analysis of A short film shown at the event demonstrated a century of MRC discoveries, achieved through international collaboration, available on our YouTube channel at: mrc.io/international-film

16 | MRC Network MRC Network | 17 MY WORK SPACE

Professor Jimmy Bell, Professor of Books Biochemistry and Head of the Metabolic These are some of my PhD students’ theses. They’re from all around and Molecular Imaging Group, showed the world: the UK, the USA, Taiwan, China, Ireland, Cyprus, Colombia 2 and Mexico. The students put in very long hours in the lab because Isabel Baker around his 2.5m office at the they love their work. As a centre of excellence, our unique facilities MRC Clinical Sciences Centre (CSC) at the CSC – from bench to bedside – allow them to interact with basic scientists, dieticians, clinicians and radiographers. The dark at Hammersmith Hospital (embedded blue one on the right is mine, which I finished in 1987. I’d really like within Imperial College) where he writes to do another PhD – it’s the only time you can focus all of your time on researching one question. reports, analyses data and longs for more time in the lab. Nanoparticle This is a nanoparticle, produced by a 3D printer. We’re developing a novel nanomolecular delivery system that can be used for treatment of diseases; we hope to translate this into the clinic. The idea is that once the nanoparticle arrives at a cell and releases its load, the cell Photocopy of General Pinochet’s arrest warrant responds via apoptosis (cell death) or reverts its metabolism back to This is to remind me that science is not the ultimate thing in life. normal (senescence). We use this model as a visual aid to teach I came to the UK from Chile, as a political refugee with my family students about molecular imaging. In primary and secondary schools in 1974, when General Pinochet took over. He was arrested in I fill the nanoparticle with M&Ms! It’s a nice way of getting children London on 16 October 1998 and imprisoned for 503 days. We enthusiastic about science, combining fat and nanotechnology. campaigned very hard to get him extradited to Spain to stand trial. Everyone was very supportive. Unfortunately he was allowed to return to Chile in 2000. Chocolates These were a birthday present from a colleague ‘to keep me happy’. Apparently when my sugar levels are low I’m grumpy! To work on fat and obesity and be surrounded by chocolate is a bit ironic. I’m Photos not very good at practising what I preach. I’m the only scientist in my family. My Dad was a sculptor, and the brightest person I’ve ever met. He used to say, “lose your creativity and you lose your humanity”. We had endless discussions about Newspaper article science and art. He couldn‘t understand how one 20 years ago, my colleague Professor Gary Frost came to me with a can be creative with a fixed objective. I think there’s simple question: “I’ve got two patients who by our standard no difference; creativity is creativity. methods are identical, but metabolically they are completely different. Any ideas?” So we developed MRI to quantify fat. We haven’t answered the original question yet, but have discovered Fat that in some people fat distribution is more important than quantity. We used to describe this type of person using a long With my colleague Dr Louise Thomas we scientific name until a reporter said, “Oh, you mean a TOFI, teach children about research and healthy Control dashboard of first MRI scanner someone thin outside, fat inside.” I guess that’s why she’s a reporter This was used by us in the early nineties for MRI clinical research. eating using this ‘fat’ prop. It is made of Paintings and we’re scientists! It captured people’s imagination. To get better images you would turn these knobs, which affected This is the first painting my oldest son did at nursery – it’s a man rubber-like material, with the same the signal – I used to be very good at it. Nowadays everything is run on a horse. I think it looks like a Chinese painting. The other is a texture and density as fat. Sometimes I put it under my shirt, by computers so almost anybody can acquire superb images, very take it out and say to the children, “If I’m having liposuction, portrait of me by my younger son. They are both very artistic To find out more about Jimmy’s research watch the 2012 fast. That’s why the technique we developed for imaging fat has this is what happens,” they go, “Oh, no!”. With children, being and like writing poetry. That’s from the Chilean side of our family BBC Two documentary ‘The Men who made us fat: Our brains, become so widely used. I’ve almost worked myself out of a job! a bit of a showman often helps. – in Chile everyone’s a poet. bodies, and fat’ at: mrc.io/csc-bbc2

18 | MRC Network MRC Network | 19 FUNDING

Type 2 diabetes funding New Investigator Call for new trustees The MRC has launched the Global Alliance for Chronic In the past 20 years the global death rate from diabetes has doubled – Research Grant guidance Diseases’ (GACD) second call for proposals for research the World Health Organization (WHO) is predicting an increase of up to The Medical Research Foundation is looking into the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. two thirds by 2030. It is estimated that 347 million people worldwide New Investigator Research Grants (NIRG) provide support for suffer from diabetes; more than 80 per cent of these live in LMICs. clinical and non-clinical researchers while they are establishing to recruit a new trustee. If you are a lead scientist with experience of the governance This new call will focus on implementation and themselves as independent principal investigators. New guidance, of a charity (as a trustee or a member of an intervention research in low-and middle-income This call presents an exciting opportunity for researchers to collaborate including several changes, is now available. Any applicant looking advisory group) and you would like to help the countries (LMICs). with partners in LMICs in order to address the ever-increasing burden of to apply for a NIRG at the next or subsequent board rounds should MRF use funds gifted by the public to support type 2 diabetes. The MRC will make up to £2m available for this scheme refer to the guidance before applying: www.mrc.ac.uk/NIRG more research, visit: www.mrc.ac.uk/MRF The GACD is an alliance of eight of the world’s major health research and expects to fund several projects. funding agencies. Through the alliance, the funding agencies are for the first time coordinating and supporting research activities to tackle the The deadline for outline proposals is 11 February 2014. For guidance and increasing burden of chronic non-communicable diseases in LMICs. The to find out more visit: www.mrc.ac.uk/GACD. Further information about MRC is one of the GACD’s founding members. the GACD is available at: www.gacd.org Funding more research for human health

Imaging investment for UK Biobank The MRC’s newly revitalised charity, the Medical Research A major investment of £9.6m has been made for a large-scale imaging feasibility study which, Enriching research Foundation (MRF), supports the aims and work of the MRC if successful, could lead to detailed imaging assessments of 100,000 UK Biobank participants. with smarter science by investing public donations into research opportunities The initial phase of the project aims to image up to 8,000 participants. In preparation for the for scientists. launch of the study in March 2014, brain imaging scanners were craned into position in UK-based researchers in any area of medical, biological or Thanks to generous MRF supporters, £2m has been raised to fund awards for Manchester in November 2013, for what will be a dedicated imaging centre. veterinary sciences are invited to apply for NC3Rs Project and mid-career researchers in MRC units and universities to invest in new equipment. Pilot Study Grants to support the development of research This new technology will support cutting-edge science and allow these The objective of the study is to conduct extensive scanning, which will involve MRI imaging of the brain, heart and methods that advance the 3Rs. Proposals should set out the scientists to make a step change in their research. abdomen, carotid artery ultrasound, and low power X-ray imaging of bones and joints. This detailed physiological potential scientific and 3Rs impacts of the proposed work. characterisation of participants will provide a rich resource of information, allowing scientists to understand the Applications that integrate a range of disciplines are welcomed. An MRF-funded scholarship programme in the MRC Gambia Unit will provide causes of a wide range of diseases (including dementia) and develop ways to prevent and treat them. over £1m to support BSc and Masters training in the UK or overseas. The project The NC3Rs is an independent, government-supported centre will help secure a pipeline of new researchers for the unit, by providing Find out more about UK Biobank at: www.ukbiobank.ac.uk that funds and drives internationally-leading science and employment and training opportunities for talented West Africans. technological developments to replace or reduce the use of animals in research, and improve welfare where animals The MRF is also funding a unique opportunity for researchers working on continue to be used. human herpes viruses. To escalate individual research careers, applications are under review to award up to £600,000 to researchers who have yet to secure The application deadline is 5 February 2014. For further details research grants. visit: www.nc3rs.org.uk/fundingschemes These exciting projects are only possible thanks to generous donors who remember the MRC and the MRF in their will. To help others experience the thrill of a successful career in research, please make a donation or leave a legacy.

To find out more, go to: www.mrc.ac.uk/MRF

Brain imaging scanner being craned Newly assembled MRI scanner. into position.

20 | MRC Network MRC Network | 21 OPinion

Professor Irene Tracey is The future of neuroscience is imaging Director of the Oxford Centre for Functional Over the past two decades considerable have been developed that standardise the methods for measuring brain Magnetic Resonance advances have been made in the field of activity. These are continually being developed in light of new advances and according to the biological questions being asked. neuroimaging, supported by a century of Imaging of the Brain MRC-funded research. But has imaging actually In my opinion, the next era will see greater use of computational (FMRIB), Nuffield neuroscience approaches and multivariate pattern analyses of fMRI taught us anything new about the workings of data – this method can be applied to analyse large cohort datasets. Professor Anaesthetic the brain? Professor Irene Tracey, Director Multimodal imaging is also becoming increasingly common, allowing Science and Head of for different imaging techniques to be deployed on the same individual; of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic measurement of electrophysiological changes in regions of the brain the Nuffield Division Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) via electroencephalography (EEG), can guide analysis of specific brain Anaesthetics FMRIB activity which is collected through fMRI. With this information, we’re explains what imaging has brought to her field able to ask more probing questions about brain function, such as Centre at the University and what, in her opinion, the next era will bring. analyses we’ve recently performed in my own group, to understand of Oxford. altered states of consciousness during anaesthesia.

My pain research, which forms part of the FMRIB Centre, is mostly In parallel, there are studies using ultra-high field imaging systems, focused on using non-invasive recording techniques (functional for example 7 Tesla MR scanners. This technology offers greatly neuroimaging) to measure brain activity related to painful experiences. improved contrast and signal-to-noise ratio, providing more clarity and Until recently, we had little understanding of what occurs within the sensitivity to probe the brain in unprecedented detail. Advances in MR human central nervous system (CNS) during the complex perceptual physics and image analysis have allowed us to image white matter experience of pain. We also knew little of the extent to which connections and monitor their changes within the human brain, during networks of could modulate the pain experience; indeed the processes of development, learning and disease. Notably, results under certain circumstances, the extent of tissue damage does not from these studies have overturned our ‘textbook’ understanding of relate to the actual pain experienced, such as for injury sustained brain anatomy and its adaptive capacity. Linking brain function to during high arousal situations, like playing rugby. These findings have structure and how the brain adapts to injury, or alters during normal given us huge insights into understanding pain and knowing where learning, forms the next era of projects. In conjunction are plans to best to ‘target’ the treatment. create databases cataloguing these findings.

Dementia is another area where tremendous gains have been made. One of the more exciting areas of neuroscience and imaging research Neuroimaging can be used to characterise the functional, structural is application of chemical neuroimaging using Positron Emission and chemical changes that occur during cognitive decline. If a patient Tomography (PET), in both humans and animals, via development of displays possible symptoms of cognitive decline, we can use novel radioligands (radioactively-labelled compounds) and improved neuroimaging to identify whether the brain is affected. The hope is chemistry. PET involves introducing radioligands into the body and that such brain-based measures might eventually be predictive of ‘seeing’ where they are consumed or bind, for example the binding of Find out more at: www.fmrib.ox.ac.uk the course of a patient’s disease and even guide early intervention. neurotransmitters to receptors. This work has particular relevance for psychiatry and improved drug development. Developments within the Most imaging centres provide a multidisciplinary environment to fields of evoked related potentials (ERP) and magnetoencephalography Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded ‘Human Connectome Project’ In the UK our ability to retain and attract the very best neuroimaging support these discoveries. They allow use of cutting-edge developments (MEG) are being applied increasingly to disease-led problems and are (humanconnectome.org). They are designed to use advances in scientists in the world is testament to our past achievements. in image analysis and physics to answer neuroscientific questions of also adding to our knowledge about the temporal aspects of brain neuroimaging, to collect detailed functional and structural pictures of But in order to maximise the potential offered by state-of-the-art clinical relevance. The emphasis to-date has been on functional function, including hearing, speech, vision, emotions and decision- the brain. They will simultaneously collect in-depth physiological and neuroimaging techniques and remain at the forefront in all aspects neuroimaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) allows identification making. The next phase of research will involve using all of these genetic data from cohorts of healthy people. These projects will link of neuroimaging, we require continued support and growth. of brain activity by changes in blood oxygenation that occur local to the technologies, to link neuronal networks, or endogenous imaging data to a wide range of other characteristics, and provide a site of activation; this influences the signal properties of water, which we neurochemistry, to brain function and behaviour in health and disease. rich platform for future investigations, to assess the cause of disease, or Turn to page 12 to learn more about Irene’s recent discovery about measure through imaging. Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI likelihood of disease development. They should also help us to develop altered states of consciousness during anaesthesia, and page 20 to can be applied to determine the spatial location of brain activity Two current large-scale projects are offering an additional opportunity: early interventions for improved well-being or perhaps better ‘brain read more about the UK Biobank imaging study. relevant to a task, with ease. In addition, image analysis platforms the UK Biobank imaging study (www.ukbiobank.ac.uk) and the National resilience’, the brain’s ability to withstand damage.

22 | MRC Network MRC Network | 23 YOUR FEEDBACK

Network is for anyone who has an interest in the work of the MRC, including scientists, doctors and health professionals involved in medical research, government departments and parliamentarians, and university staff and students. The aim is to provide a quick, easy-to-read summary of activities across the MRC, from research news through to funding, grant schemes and policy issues, with pointers to more in-depth information on websites and in other publications.

We are keen to receive feedback on the type of news you want to see in Network, suggestions for new features and whether you go online to read more. To share your views complete our Network survey: survey.mrc.ac.uk/networksurvey or email: [email protected] Network is produced by the MRC Corporate Affairs Group. Editor: Isabel Baker Designer: Vin Kumar

A limited number of copies are available in print. Network can also be downloaded as a pdf at: www.mrc.ac.uk/network

IMAGES

Front/Back cover: © Dr Mark Bastin and David Liewald, CCACE Page 3: © Roger Harris photography, © MRC Images Page 5: © Dr David Furness, Keele University Page 6: © Bristol Neuroscience Page 7: © MRC Images, © Umberto D’Alessandro Page 8: © iStock Page 9: © Dr Mark Bastin and David Liewald, CCACE Page 10-11: Background image © CNRI/Science Photo Library, © Robert Dickinson Page 12: © Russell Kightley/Science Photo Library, © Professor Irene Tracey Page 13: © Steve Gschmeissner/Science Photo Library, © Peter Menzel/Science Photo Library Page 14: Background image © Dr Shankar Varadarajan, © Dr Jonathon Hiorns, © Dr Shankar Varadarajan Page 15: © Weill Cornell Medical College, © Laura Mtungwazi Page 16: © Planetary Visions Ltd/Science Photo Library Page 17: © MRC Images Page 18-19: © Martin Phelps Page 20: © Andrew Trehearne, UK Biobank © Shutterstock Page 21: © Russell Kightley/Science Photo Library Page 23: © Professor Irene Tracey

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