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
Dr Bradley Smith from King’s College London was awarded a fellowship to investigate the role and biological mechanisms of two potentially pathological mutant genetic variants in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) using zebrafish. Zebrafish are evolutionarily close to humans and are important model systems for studying neurological disorders.
The Medical Research Foundation fellowship is immensely valuable to my researchDr Bradley Smith
Lead researcher
Dr Bradley Smith from King’s College London was awarded a fellowship to investigate the role and biological mechanisms of two potentially pathological mutant genetic variants using zebrafish. Zebrafish are evolutionarily close to humans and are important model systems for studying neurological disorders.
Dr Smith said that “The Medical Research Foundation fellowship is immensely valuable to my research as it will provide two key opportunities, firstly to address a fundamental issue in ALS genetics which is the critical evaluation of new gene candidates in an animal model to assess if mutations are detrimental to motor neurone function.
Secondly, it will add highly specialized new skills to my professional tool kit and will provide a stepping stone to being an independent researcher in the ALS field.”
Neurodegenerative Diseases – Motor Neurone Diseases
-
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.
Support us
Help change lives
We fund and support the most promising health research wherever we discover great opportunities that are not being pursued. We use our donations responsibly and ensure we make the greatest impact where it is most needed.
DONATE
What we fund
Apply for funding
We exist to fund research and we want to help support you – the rising stars and the champions of the medical research world.