MND is a hugely variable condition, in terms of the symptoms that people experience, and the rate at which these symptoms progress.

Currently, we don’t understand the biological mechanisms which cause this, and this presents a major challenge to managing the disease and developing new treatments.

The aim of this PhD project is to investigate the processes underlying the differences in MND disease progression. Dr Elliott will explore this using detailed information from the CARE-MND national research platform, linked to samples from the MRC Edinburgh Brain Bank.

By using cutting-edge methods pioneered in Edinburgh, Dr Elliott will study these tissue samples at a microscopic level of detail. The purpose of this is to determine if different samples have unique genetic patterns which may explain the disease differences.

A greater understanding of how the disease progresses in the human body will help to develop new tests and treatments which may improve the lives of people with MND in the future.

Dr Elliott said: “After completing my general medical training I was fortunate to be appointed last year as a Rowling Fellow at the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic at the University of Edinburgh, and to become a member of the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research.

“During this fellowship I have been privileged to meet people with MND and their families, and these experiences have inspired this PhD project.

“I would like to thank MND Scotland and the Chief Scientist Office for the Clinical Academic Fellowship position, which I look forward to starting. I would also like to thank the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic and the Euan MacDonald Centre for supporting my role as a clinical fellow over the last year.”

Find out more

For more information about this project please contact:

Dr Liz Elliott (BSc MBBS MRCPE)
eelliot3@ed.ac.uk

This post is joint funded by MND Scotland and the Chief Scientist Office (CSO) and will be based at the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, The University of Edinburgh