About us
What we do
We exist to advance medical research, improve human health and change people’s lives. You can help us do it.
WHAT WE FUND
Motor neurone disease
Neurodegenerative diseases
A fellowship to determine the protective function of a protein-bound structure to prevent pathological aggregation in the most common motor neurone disease: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
There is mounting evidence that protein and RNA components of the paraspeckle are important players in pathogenesis of motor neurone disease, however, underlying mechanisms are still enigmatic.Dr Shelkovnikova
Lead researcher
Dr Tatyana Shelkovnikova from Cardiff University was awarded a fellowship to determine the protective function of a protein-bound structure to prevent pathological aggregation in ALS (the most common motor neurone disease).
Dr Shelkovnikova said that: “There is mounting evidence that protein and RNA components of the paraspeckle are important players in pathogenesis of motor neurone disease, however, underlying mechanisms are still enigmatic. The Medical Research Foundation fellowship will allow me to fill this gap in our knowledge.
This award is a unique chance and crucial step in my career: it gives me the opportunity to fully concentrate on this problem while helping build up my track record and ultimately, establish as an independent researcher.”
Neurodegenerative Diseases – Motor Neurone Diseases
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Why there is a need to fund new research
Motor neurone disease is devastating for individuals and their families. It is a family of neurological disorders that affect motor neurones, the nerve cells that control voluntary muscle activity such as walking, speaking and swallowing. As the condition progresses, the motor neurone cells become damaged and eventually die. This leads to the muscles, which rely on those nerve messages, gradually weakening and wasting away. It is a rare condition that affects around two in every 100,000 people in the UK each year but there is currently no cure and life expectancy for about half those with the condition is only three years from the start of symptoms. One of our generous donors, the late Irene Griffiths, wanted to help UK scientists to tackle these dreadful diseases and left a generous legacy in her Will in memory of her parents, Harold and Ena Griffiths. We used these funds to support the research and careers of some of the UK’s brightest young motor neurone disease researchers who, our experts believe, will be the research leaders of the future.
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Thanks to you, our researchers are improving human health, changing lives, and giving hope to people with overlooked and underfunded health conditions.
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