MQ Ambassador Dr Judith Pratt is a neuroscience Research Professor from the University of Strathclyde. We asked her to tell us what Brain Awareness week is about.
Brain Awareness Week was founded by the Dana Alliance in 1996 and since then has evolved into a global campaign to increase public awareness of the progress and benefits of brain research. It takes place every March; this year it will be held from 14th -20th March.
During Brain Awareness Week, diverse partners, including universities, medical research facilities, advocacy groups, charities and outreach organisations, host fun and informative activities in their communities. The common goal is to share the wonders of the brain, and the impact brain research has on our daily lives, health, and wellbeing. Events take place in a range of venues from universities, museums, theatres to community centres, and activities range from online webinars, hands-on activities for children and adults to panel discussions and theatrical performances.
Over the years, we have strived to fund world-changing mental health research. Here are three studies from MQ researchers focusing on the brain and neuroscience:
Circuit Plasticity in Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Pathology and Treatment
Dr Susanne Ahmari is investigating what happens in the brain to cause OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) specifically, whether problems in the brain’s circuits could cause the symptoms of OCD.
Susanne’s project involves a new technique called optogenetics. Optogenetics enables researchers to isolate and study specific brain cells by making them sensitive to light, then using targeted lights to switch those cells on and off. It is a technique that is useful to watch how brain cells interact.
Armed with this innovative technology, Susanne aims to push the understanding of OCD forwards and contribute to treatments that give respite to more people with this draining condition. Learn more here.
Genetic and genomic drivers of network phenotypes in health and disease
Dr Petra Vértes is looking at genetic data and brain scans to uncover the biological processes responsible for psychosis and other symptoms experienced by people with schizophrenia.
Petra will analyse brain scans collected from hundreds of ‘healthy’ volunteers, people who have already experienced psychosis, and a group of people who have been identified to be at risk.
Petra’s study offers vital knowledge into the emergence of schizophrenia at a biological level, highlighting which molecules and genes are important. This understanding provides the basis to create better treatments that target essential networks in the brain so we can improve the lives of people facing schizophrenia. Learn more here.
Behavioural Training that Engages Synaptic Plasticity in Frontostriatal Circuits: A Path to More Specific Strategies for Treating and Preventing Mental Illness
Dr Patrick Rothwell is investigating whether conditions such as addiction and depression can be effectively treated by strengthening the connections between different brain parts.
Patrick plans to examine the effects of various treatments used in clinical care – some drug-based, others based on behavioural therapies – and assess their impact on the brain.
His findings have the potential to transform how we respond to mental illness by identifying which mental health treatments stimulate specific areas of the brain – and which are therefore most likely to help people recover. Learn more here.
Check out the Dana Foundation website https://www.brainawareness.org for more information on activities and resources.
