​UK DRI at UCL

Research at the UK DRI at UCL covers the journey from the person living with dementia to the laboratory and back again - with improved diagnosis and potential therapies put to the test.

• Specialisms at UCL
• Mechanistic understanding of dysfunction in cells and neural systems
• Gene expression and biological pathways in single cells related to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease
• New biomarkers to monitor disease progression
• Deficits in axonal transport in early neurodegeneration
• Wnt signalling in synapses to discover new targets for future dementia therapies

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  From lab bench to bedside, and back again

  UCL was selected as the hub of the UK DRI in 2016 because of its strength to bring together excellent clinical and basic neuroscience research to advance our understanding of neurodegeneration and identify novel targets and therapeutic approaches for dementia. As the hub, it has a larger research programme and also is the location for the national headquarters team who connect the whole institute together.

  Research at the UK DRI at UCL covers the journey from the person living with dementia to the laboratory and back again - with improved diagnosis and potential therapies put to the test. The groups believe in intervening earlier in disease in order to change the trajectory.

  We need to better understand the diversity and complexity of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease, in order to understand the mechanisms involved, and ultimately how we can alter them to improve people's lives.

  We must find treatments quicker, and that's why the UK DRI at UCL is taking a novel approach by integrating diverse expertise for efficiency, from genetics to diagnostics.

  This work is enhanced by incredible clinical resources. Researchers have access to unique clinical cohorts, where comprehensive data has been collected throughout disease progression including memory assessments and brain tissue. The UK DRI at UCL provides a clinical arm to the whole of the UK DRI.

  The future iconic home of the UK DRI at UCL will be alongside UCL's Queen Square Institute of Neurology in a new building on Gray's Inn Road.

  Visit the UK DRI at UCL local website for up-to-date news.

Apply for latest jobs at UCL

• Research Fellow, UK DRI at UCL - Bartels Lab

  UK DRI is seeking a Research Fellow to join the Bartels Lab at UCL School of Life & Medical Sciences. One research project will involve the role of lipids in the physiological/pathological assembly of α-Synucleinin neuronal cells and the transition of liquid-liquid phase separation in neurodegeneration and synaptic transmission. You will be involved in analysis of protein mobility and assembly via live-cell microscopy and FRAP/FRET. The second project involves investigating the gut-brain axis in PD using mouse models and human synucleinopathy tissue; you will need to be familiar with at least one of the following techniques: protein biochemistry (Western, ELISA, IHC), biophysical structure work, protein purification, CryoEM, RT-QuiC/SAA. You will have a PhD or MD in Biophysics, Biochemistry or Molecular Biology, be a good communicator, have strong interpersonal skills, and be a proactive and creative thinker. Experience of working in quantitative biological analytics, or with biophysical structure analysis of proteins, handling human samples, or with FRET/FRAP is highly desirable. Ref: B02-04149, Closing date: 18 June 2023

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• Research Fellow in Cognitive Neuroscience, UK DRI at UCL - Wiseman Lab

  UK DRI is seeking a Research Fellow in Cognitive Neuroscience to join the Wiseman Lab at School of Life & Medical Sciences at UCL. You will oversee and develop a novel and robust pipeline for the quantification of mouse behaviour and cognition for the assessment of mouse models of dementia-causing diseases, at the MRC Harwell Mary Lyon Centre (MLC). You will work with Dr Wiseman and the wider Institute to integrate this data with other research outputs at the UK DRI to provide ground-breaking insight into neurodegenerative mechanisms. You will also have the opportunity to develop new analytical tools to identify and classify changes in rodent behaviour, using DeepLabCut and AI clustering methods in collaboration with UK DRI colleagues. Work will focus on novel knockin mouse models of aspects of frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. You will have a PhD in Neuroscience and experience of the experimental design of mouse studies and the delivery of such studies under UK law. Experience in statistical analysis of experimental datasets using R or SPSS is essential, as is an understanding of and interest in the mission of the UK DRI and excellent communication, interpersonal, and time management skills. Closing date: 18 June 2023, Ref: B02-04988

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