Neuroscience and neurodegeneration
This research programme focuses on the genetics and neurobiology, and their interaction with environmental factors, of common mental disorders, age-related cognitive decline and the dementias.
Neuroscience
The Neuroscience and Psychiatry Unit (NPU) was established to bring together a group of psychiatrists, psychologists and laboratory scientists to identify brain mechanisms which underlie common mental illnesses such as schizophrenia and depression. The NPU is located in a suite of offices and laboratories on the ground floor of the Stopford Building.
- Impulse control disorders
Investigating the biological and neuropsychological mechanisms involved in impulse control and related disorders including antisocial personality disorder, substance misuse and compulsive spectrum disorders such as pathological gambling and eating disorders. - Mood disorders
Investigating the biological mechanisms involved in both vulnerability to depression and response to treatment and their interaction with environmental factors. - Psychosis
Understanding the neurobiology of psychosis (including early psychosis) and the mechanisms of action of antipsychotic drugs.
Neurodegeneration
- Aging, cognition and neurodegenerative disease
Focusing on the problems of memory and cognition in later life, as determined by pathological brain changes and genetic risk
Clinical collaborations
Close clinical links are essential as we are associated with trusts in South and Central Manchester and understanding brain mechanisms of mental illness requires a multidisciplinary approach which brings us close to our collaborators in:
- Radiology (MR scanning): see the Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facility
- Imaging Sciences research (part of the Imaging, Genomics and Proteomics Research Group)
- Arthritis Research UK Epidemiology Unit (part of the Musculoskeletal Research Group)
- Genomics research (Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research and part of the Imaging, Genomics and Proteomics Research Group)
- Clinical Neurosciences research: Neuroscience (post-mortem brain neurochemistry)
Further information
For more details about NPU and neurodegeneration research, please contact us
