We are pleased to confirm funding has been agreed for five new research studies under our Small Grants scheme.
The studies selected for the grants include:
Dr Negin Holland, a Neurologist and Researcher at the University of Cambridge, who will study variations in brain shrinkage, blood work such as inflammation and genetics, the impact of socioeconomic status and gender on survival in PSP & CBS. Dr Holland and her team hope that with a better understanding of predictors of survival they can better prioritise targets for new treatments.
Dr Ruth Lewis-Morton, a Clinical Psychologist from University Hospital Llandough, is examining the needs of care-partners who are caring for someone with PSP or CBD. There has been limited research on understanding the needs of care-partners. Through this study, Dr Lewis-Morton hopes they will be able to share information and make recommendations about what care partners need to improve their quality of life, as well as the quality of life of the person they’re caring for.
Davi Schramm Vontobel, a PhD student at the University of Cambridge, is aiming to better understand how brain inflammation involving microglia and astrocytes relates to the build-up of toxic tau in the brain at different stages of PSP, and their influence on each other over time. Dr Schramm Vontobel will also study the different types of brain cells that are involved in inflammation to see how they might contribute to disease progression. This project could help identify specific cells or pathways to target with new treatments.
Dr Boyd Ghosh, a Neurologist at University Hospital Southampton, is going to examine a fracture risk in atypical Parkinson syndromes. Dr Ghosh and his team believe that people with PSP or CBD have an increased risk of fractures which is not adequately assessed or treated by current clinical systems. They hope they will be able to suggest a more robust risk score system. In time this could provide evidence which could reduce fractures in people with PSP & CBD therefore prolonging independence and improving quality of life.
Dr William Scotton, a Neurology Consultant at New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton, will examine the impact of ethnicity on PSP & CBD. People from populations other than white Europeans have been underrepresented in PSP & CBD research meaning we don’t fully understand how the diseases affect people from other backgrounds. There may be important differences in lifestyle, environment and genetics that contribute to the disease. By studying a diverse patient cohort and creating a registry in the West Midlands, this research could support more equitable and targeted interventions and enhance clinical trial diversity.
PSPA’s Chair of the Research Committee, Professor Karen Morrison, says of the funding: “We are pleased to increase our commitment to research into PSP & CBD, with the provision of pump-priming funding for five new research studies. The investment, which totals £32,595, will allow the studies to begin this year, and spans key objectives from our research strategy, including more accurate diagnosis, better coordination of care, and improving quality of life.
“Despite having similar prevalence to better known conditions like Motor Neurone Disease, research into PSP & CBD is still very much underfunded. We anticipate that these grants, alongside our larger grants that we will be launching later this spring as part of our Understood Research Appeal, will improve our understanding of PSP & CBD, and increase the interest of researchers in developing impactful programmes to improve the lives of those living with these currently incurable neurological disorders.”
