King's College London Archives

Symposium Preview: Meet the Symposium Communications Ambassadors

15 November 202315 November 2023Research Development Team

Reading Time: 7 minutes Each year at the Symposium, there is a huge amount of research presented on a range of topics from across the globe. With the Symposium returning to an in-person event this year, we are keen to increase the number of updates we share for those not able to attend, including people living with and affected by MND.

To help us do this, we have launched a new Symposium Communications Ambassador Programme so we can bring more of the research from the Symposium to non-scientific audiences. This programme was open for applications from early career researchers working in MND, who were interested in helping us shine a light on MND research happening across the world. This year we have 5 early career researchers taking part in the Programme, who will gain experience and new skills in communicating research to different audiences. Before, during and after the Symposium our Ambassador’s will be helping us to share the latest research with the MND community.

A stepping stone to becoming future leaders in MND research

12 September 202312 September 2023Eleanor Green1 Comment

Reading Time: 6 minutes MND is a very complex disease and collaboration within the research community is key to building on our current understanding of the disease biology and finding effective treatments. The MND Association recognises the importance of expanding the dedicated MND research workforce, as well as supporting those who are already working in the field. To fund…

Investigating the role of FUS in MND

22 August 202325 August 2023Research Development Team

Reading Time: 3 minutes My name is Sara Tacconelli and I grew up in a small town in Abruzzo, Italy, and I was raised in a nurturing environment, surrounded by love and affection from my family and friends. I always had a passion for science and as I grew older, a strong desire to dedicate my life to a meaningful cause emerged within me- a desire to somehow make a difference in the lives of others.

Taking a look behind the scenes of clinical trials in MND

19 July 202319 July 2023Eleanor Green

Reading Time: 5 minutes The MND clinical trial landscape has grown vastly over the last decade and this has led to increased opportunities for people with MND to take part in research across the globe. Behind these trials, sit a large number of highly dedicated staff at each trial site who make sure the trial is set-up, recruiting and…

Measuring cognitive and behavioural changes in MND

20 April 202320 April 2023Eleanor Green

Reading Time: 4 minutes It is known that people with MND experience different symptoms, and these are not just movement related. People with MND can experience difficulty speaking, breathing and swallowing, as well as changes in how they think and behave. It is thought that around 50% of people with the disease also develop changes in their thinking and…

SOD1 MND – searching for more clues in our genes

2 March 20236 March 2023Charlotte Roy

Reading Time: 2 minutes Researchers from King’s College London have recently completed a study looking into different variations (a change or mistake) within the SOD1 gene and found that understanding the position and type of change within the gene can help to predict onset and progression of the disease.

Silence is golden: A new clinical trial for FUS-ALS

14 February 202225 February 2022Charlotte Roy

Reading Time: 4 minutes Researchers at King’s College London led by Professor Christopher Shaw, are the first in Europe to embark on a clinical trial targeting a specific genetic form of ALS caused by mutations in the fused in sarcoma (FUS) gene. What is FUS-ALS? Mutations in FUS were first linked to ALS in 2009 by research led by…

Connecting Patient Data and Artificial Intelligence to Advance MND Research

3 August 20213 August 2021Research Development Team

Reading Time: 5 minutes “The search for new drugs to help MND patients is a long and challenging one, but it is one where we are beginning to see hope for the future emerging on several fronts. New Artificial Intelligence (AI) data analysis techniques and larger, more detailed collections of patient data have been pivotal in these advances.” Dr…

Virtual Symposium: Lessons from COVID-19 Part 2 – Impact on palliative care

24 February 202118 March 2021Mandy Spencer

Reading Time: 4 minutes This is the second in a series of three blog articles from Session 7 – Perspectives: Lessons from COVID-19 in which we heard from different speakers about how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted their own experiences of clinical trials, research, and support within the MND community. A further blog, written by Bruce Virgo who is…

The FUS with faulty mitochondria – the powerhouse of the cell

3 August 202031 July 2020Research Development Team5 Comments

Reading Time: 3 minutes Guest researcher blog post written by Darija Šoltić. Originally from Croatia, I came to the UK to do my PhD in neuroscience, where I worked on spinal muscular atrophy, a debilitating childhood motor neuron disease (MND). Earlier this year, I joined the Ruepp group (led by Dr Marc-David Ruepp) at the UK Dementia Research Institute…