The Euan Macdonald Centre For Motor Neurone Disease Research

'An invaluable learning experience'...'important insights'...'potentially useful new contacts'...these are some of the experiences of our three researchers who travelled to Tours, France recently for the 'European Network to Cure ALS' (ENCALS) #MND #ALS conference. Read more on our website at https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/e xperiences-encals-20…

We’re delighted that Euan MacDonald Centre member, Dr Arpan Mehta, won the Charles Symonds Prize for best poster presentation at the recent Association of British Neurologists' 2019 Annual Meeting.
Arpan’s research focuses on the C9orf72 repeat expansion - the commonest known gene mutation causing MND.
Academic posters are created by researchers to be displayed at conferences so fellow researchers can learn about their ongoing work and research findings. To win an award for y...our poster is recognition of excellence in your field.
Congratulations, Arpan!
https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/c entre-member-wins-br…
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Congratulations to everyone that took part in Edinburgh Marathon Festival over the weekend and raised awareness and funds for the Euan MacDonald Centre.
10km, half-marathon and marathon relay runners all pulled on their trainers for MND research. Those taking part on the Sunday braved wind and rain before finally welcoming the afternoon sunshine.
Thank you to all of the runners and to the supporters that turned out to cheer them on.
... https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/about /news
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We're delighted to announce that our next research open evening will take place on Wednesday 25th September.
Pop the date in your diary to come along and hear about our latest research, meet the people doing the work and ask those burning questions you've always wanted to know the answers too.
We look forward to seeing you there!
... https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/r esearch-open-evening…
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The ENCALS (European Network to Cure ALS) meeting is being held in Tours, France this week with many of our members in attendance.
We're excited to announce that we will be hosting next year's meeting in Edinburgh from Wednesday 17th to Friday 19th June. The event will be held at The University of Edinburgh iconic McEwan Hall.
ENCALS exists to help ALS / MND clinicians and scientists from across Europe, collaborate and share information with the ultimate aim of finding a cur...e for ALS / MND.
Follow this link to find out more about what is happening this year in France. https://www.encals.eu/mee…/encals-meeti ng-2019-tours-france/
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Our researchers have published a 'map' of the changes in brain protein molecules that happen during normal ageing. By comparing the proteins in different brain regions and at different ages, they have identified proteins that are involved in the loss of connections between neurons - called synapses - as we get older. The team, which was led by Dr Tom Wishart, has also found proteins that might underlie the particular vulnerability of some neurons to synapse loss in conditions such as MND. Read more on our website at https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/m olecular-map-brain-a…

We're very grateful to family-owned, Field-to-Bottle Distiller Arbikie Distillery who has announced that it will be donating £1 per bottle for all on-going sales of their AK’s Gin to support people with MND through the work of The Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research and MND Scotland.
Arbikie Distillery is owned and run by the Stirling brothers, who named their award-winning AK’s Gin after their father, Alex Kirkwood Stirling, who sadly passed away after living with MND for... a number of years.
Find out more on our website: https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/a rbikie-distillery-an…
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Last week we took part in the Edinburgh Science Festival at an event hosted by MND Scotland - Edinburgh & Lothian Branch
Five of our researchers talked about their work and the advances we're making in understanding more about MND, finding new treatments and getting ready for drug trials.
The questions from the audience at the end of the event were challenging, emotive and insightful and the researchers left with renewed inspiration for their work to ultimately find a cure fo...r MND.
You can read more about the event on our website.
https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/e dinburgh-science-fes…
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Today Eleri Connick, President of Edinburgh University Students' Association (EUSA), presented a cheque to us for almost £3000 from their fundraising for the Euan MacDonald Centre and #MND research.
We're so grateful for the support of EUSA and students across The University of Edinburgh. Thank you to everyone involved.

Thanks to everyone who came along to our Information Evening evening last night, held jointly with The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic.
Our researchers loved sharing their research with everyone and answering questions about #MND.

Don't forget that our Open Evening takes place tonight (Wednesday 10th) with The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic.
Pop along between 5.30 and 7pm to chat to researchers and find out what we're doing to slow, stop and reverse #MND. https://www.facebook.com/events/204280528 5795083/

Thank you to everyone involved in Friday night's fabulous 'We are Edinburgh: End of semester takeover of McEwan Hall' for raising money for the Euan MacDonald Centre and #MND research.
Thanks especially go to with Edinburgh University Students' Association (EdUni Students What's On), Edinburgh University Jazz Orchestra - EUJO, Edinburgh RAG and Big Cheese.
Credit to EUSA for the fabulous photos from the night.

Recent research, using data from our CARE-MND platform, has studied gastrostomy procedures for people with MND.
Gastrostomy is the surgical creation of an opening into the stomach. This is an option that some people with MND choose when their symptoms have affected them being able to swallow and it allows them to maintain their nutrition. However, the procedure carries some risks.
Our team has used data from CARE-MND to compare recent survival rates after gastrostomy with t...hose from 30 years ago. They found that more people are choosing to have a gastrostomy and that it has become significantly safer. Now, 10% of people with MND die within a month of the procedure; this is 2.8 times less likely than it was 30 years ago.
Find out more on our website. https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/gastr ostomy-survival-ra…
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Researchers from the Euan MacDonald Centre and The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic recently used data from the CARE-MND platform to look into how common MND is in Scotland.
The study has provided some interesting results including that MND is not associated with social deprivation and the number of people diagnosed with MND in Scotland has increased, when compared to figures from 20 years ago.
The increase in numbers is thought to be due to our ability to identify ...and record people with MND better since MND care has significantly improved in recent years.
Read more about the study on our website. https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/n ew-mnd-incidence-and…
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Saturday 16th March is Disabled Access Day 2019. There are lots of events taking place at venues across Scotland and many are listed in the article below.
If you visit any venues this weekend, don't forget to tell us what you thought of the disabled access by writing a review on www.euansguide.com.
Euan's Guide was founded by Euan MacDonald and his sister Kiki. The charity aims to make it easier for disabled people to find great places to go by hosting access reviews for di...sabled people by disabled people.
https://www.disabledaccessday.com/…/wha ts-on-in-scotland-i…/
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The My Name'5 Doddie Foundation recently announced a new series of grant awards to MND research projects across the UK. We're delighted that Euan MacDonald Centre researcher Professor Tom Gillingwater is among those leading projects that will receive a donation.
Professor Gillingwater, based at The University of Edinburgh was awarded the grant alongside Professor Kevin Talbot at University of Oxford. Their joint project aims to identify drugs to treat MND from repurposing existing medications that are currently used and licensed in the UK for other medical conditions.
https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/m y-name5-doddie-found…

Join researchers from The Euan MacDonald Centre at the Edinburgh Science Festival on Thursday 18th April 17:30 - 19:00.
Hosted by MND Scotland 'The Motor Neurone Disease Research Revolution' will discuss research into MND and showcase how an innovative digital platform allows for collaboration between scientists and patients.
Appropriate for people aged 14+, tickets for the event are priced at £8.50 and £6.50 for concessions.
... Visit the Edinburgh Science Festival website for tickets. The full festival runs from 6 - 21 April 2019.
https://www.sciencefestival.co.uk/…/the -motor-neurone-disea…
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Join us on Wednesday 10th April for our next Research Open Evening. This event is a great way to learn more about our work to slow, stop and reverse MND.
No need to register - just drop in. The event runs from 5.30pm until 7pm at The Anne Rowling Clinic.
Find out more on our website.... https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/…/r esearch-open-evening…
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