NMHB Research Initiatives
The following section outlines the portfolio areas and strategic initiatives covered by the Neurosciences and Mental Health Board. It also includes links to more in depth information on NMHB strategic reviews and initiatives.
Strategic Initiatives
The Neurosciences and Mental Health Board is responsible for a number of strategic initiatives. Dedicated pages for each of our current initiatives can be found by following the links below:
Portfolio Areas
This page describes the main portfolio areas for which the Neurosciences and Mental Health Board is responsible. Details on who to contact at the MRC for each of these areas are available on the contacts page.
- Neurodegeneration and clinical neurology
- Mental health and addiction
- Cognitive and behavioural neuroscience
- Neurobiology and neurophysiology
- Regenerative Medicine
- Underpinning support - neuroimaging, brain banking and neuroinformatics
Neurodegeneration and clinical neurology
Neurodegeneration
This covers dementias, prion diseases, Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, all forms of motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis.
MRC published a strategic review of neurodegeneration research in December 2008, highlighting the need for high-quality, collaborative and multidisciplinary research that can advance our understanding of the biological processes underpinning neurodegenerative diseases.
In addition MRC and the Department of Health hosted a Ministerial Summit on Dementia Research in July 2009. (report).
Following the MRC review, a number of collaborative funding initiatives have been established to promote neurodegeneration research. These are:
- MRC / Wellcome Trust joint call in neurodegeneration
- International network of centres of excellence in neurodegeneration research (COEN)
- Joint Programming in neurodegeneration (JPND)
Further information on these activities is available here.
Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSEs)
Further information on MRC’s activities in the area of TSE research, including Prion Disease/Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD) is available here
The MRC Prion Unit, London is the UK’s major strategic research investment in this area.
Clinical neurology
The Board covers all aspects of clinical neurology research including stroke and neuroinflammatory conditions, epilepsy and neuromuscular disease. We operate a number of joint fellowship schemes with research charities in this area. The MRC has highlighted the importance of research into Multiple Sclerosis.
Mental health and addiction
Mental Health
Mental health includes clinical, developmental, genetic and neuropharmacological aspects of poor mental health (both conduct and emotional disorders) and pathways to mental illness and wellbeing. A comprehensive review of mental health research in the UK was published by MRC in May 2010. Further details on the outcomes of the review can be found here.
Addictions and Substance Misuse
Addictions in the context of NMHB refers to the neurobiological of compulsive addictive behaviours and substance misuse and the behaviours, such as impulsivity that might lead to addiction. The Board also considers research on alcohol misuse whether or not this is addictive behaviour. Other behavioural ‘addictions’ such as to food, might be considered by the PSMB depending on the focus.
MRC is leading a strategy for addiction and substance misuse research, Details of this initiative and research programmes funded under it can be found here.
Autism Spectrum and related disorders
NMHB considers research on conditions associated with behavioural and learning disabilities such as ADHD, the autism spectrum and intellectual disabilities. In 2001 the MRC undertook the first comprehensive review of UK research into autism and in 2009, it undertook a Forward Look and review of autism research in the UK.
Further information on these activities can be found here.
NMHB’s portfolio includes a number of strategic investments relevant to the above including:
Cognitive and behavioural neuroscience
Cognitive and behavioural neuroscience and cognitive systems
The Board supports medically relevant areas of cognitive psychology, neuropsychology, cognitive neuroscience, and cognitive systems (including systems-based neuroscience research). Normal cognitive development is also included in the context of neuropsychological approaches with potential medical relevance. Research covered in this area excludes molecular studies of brain development. More basic, underpinning projects may be considered when clearly linked to a broader multidisciplinary investment that has a research mission to address human health.
Strategic investments relative to cognitive and behavioural neuroscience include:
- The MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (CBSU), Cambridge – one of the UKs major research investments in the area
- The MRC / Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute (BCNI), at the University of Cambridge
Sensory neuroscience, vision and hearing
The Board covers all areas of sensory neuroscience including visual and auditory processing, sensory degeneration – namely, hearing and visual disorders. Research also covers strategies for regeneration and rehabilitation of sensory disorders.
The MRC Institute of Hearing Research, with groups in Nottingham and Glasgow is the UK’s major strategic research investment in this area.
Neurobiology and neurophysiology
The Board supports research with relevance to human health or underlying mechanisms of disease across this area, including basic and developmental neurobiology, neurophysiology, neuropharmacology, synaptic plasticity, neurodevelopmental disorders, pain, anaesthesia, sleep and fatigue. More basic, underpinning projects may be considered when clearly linked to a broader multidisciplinary investment that has a research mission to address human health.
Major MRC investments in this area include:
- The MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London
- The MRC Centre for Synaptic Plasticity at the University of Bristol
- Programmes within the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, London; the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge; the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, London
Regenerative Medicine
The Board supports the underpinning research required for mechanistic understanding in regenerative medicine in areas such as vision and hearing research, spinal repair and combatting neural loss in Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. More translational approaches in this area should be directed to the Translational Stem Cell Research Committee (TSCRC)
Underpinning support - neuroimaging, brain banking and neuroinformatics
Imaging technology
MRC supports a number of programmes that utilise imaging technologies such as Positron Emission Tomography (PET), functional and structural Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), and Magnetoencephalography (MEG), to elucidate neuronal and brain function in cells, animals and human subjects. MRC funding in this area forms part of a wider drive to boost translational neuroscience research using Positron Emission Tomography (PET).
Brain and tissue banking
In 2008, the UKCRC published a report outlining the strategy for brain tissue banking. This led to MRC establishing an independent and coordinated UK network of brain tissue banks. The UK Brain Banks Network, directed by Professor James Ironside (University of Edinburgh), was founded in 2009 and will provide high-quality brain tissue to scientists and clinicians to enable them to carry out cutting-edge research in neurosciences.
Further information on our activities in this area can be found here
Neuroinformatics
Neuroinformatics combines neuroscience with research from the physical and informational sciences. MRC currently funds the UK’s subscription to the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF). A UK National Node has been established, planning new initiatives and reviewing neuroinformatics training and capacity building across the UK The node is jointly funded by the MRC, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).
Further information on our activities in this area can be found here
ERA-NET Neuron
MRC is a participant in ERA-NET Neuron the aim of NEURON is to promote the development of a European strategy for research by a coordinated implementation of funding programmes in the area of research into brain diseases. The project envisages creating a group of relevant research funding organisations in Europe and, thereby, to gain maximum added value from investment in this field. The MRC participated in the first ERA-Net NEURON joint call for proposals "European research projects on neurodegenerative diseases of the central nervous system".
All MRC research centres within the NMHB Portfolio
MRC Units
- MRC Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit, Oxford
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge
- MRC Institute for Hearing Research (with groups based at Glasgow and Nottingham)
- MRC Prion Unit, London
MRC Centres
- MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s College London
- MRC Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases at University College London and Newcastle University
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics at Cardiff University
- MRC Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre at King’s College London
- MRC/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, at the University of Cambridge
MRC Institutes
Major neuroscience research programmes are also being carried out at the: