Active Brain & Nervous System Genetics & Molecular Biology

Translational Neuroscience 2 (TN2)

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

A four-year PhD programme in Edinburgh is training the next generation of scientists to bridge the gap between lab discoveries and real treatments for brain disorders. The problem is stark: fundamental neuroscience has made huge strides in understanding how the brain works, but too few of those insights reach patients. This programme, now in its second iteration, directly tackles that bottleneck by giving students rigorous, cross-disciplinary training that spans both basic science and clinical application. The demand for such training has been enormous, reflecting a clear gap in how researchers are prepared for translational work. If successful, the programme will produce cohorts of scientists who can move discoveries from the bench to the bedside more efficiently. This matters for the millions of people affected by brain disorders across the lifespan—from developmental conditions to dementia. The programme leverages Edinburgh’s unusually rich research environment, including a £250M CityDeal for data science, a £23M Dementia Research Institute, a $20M initiative for the developing brain, and a £50M Institute for Regeneration and Repair. By also improving student welfare and career diversity, the programme aims to become a model for how to train scientists who can turn brain research into real-world impact.

View original technical description
Three years ago we established an innovative and successful 4-year Translational Neuroscience PhD Programme (‘TN1’) designed to address the fundamental problems in translating advances in discovery neuroscience to the clinic. We are equipping cohorts of outstanding students with the means to resolve these problems by providing rigorous, cross-disciplinary, cutting-edge training in the neuroscience of brain disorders across the lifespan. Demand has proved enormous. In TN2, we shall continue the key aim of TN1 by leveraging the opportunities offered by the highly collaborative Edinburgh Neuroscience community of world-leading clinical and fundamental scientists. This community has been substantially enhanced by recent key strategic developments that massively expand our portfolio of neuroscience research, including new opportunities in data science driven by a £250M CityDeal and new translational expertise introduced by our £23M Dementia Research Institute, our $20M Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain and our £50M Institute for Regeneration and Repair. By also incorporating lessons learnt from our TN1 cohorts and from relevant stakeholders to enhance student welfare, diversity and career options, our programme will provide exceptional training in translational neuroscience, key skills for research and other careers worldwide, and be a beacon of best practise in student development.

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Researchers

Anna Williams (EPMC Awardee)David Price (EPMC Awardee)Peter Kind (EPMC Awardee)Stephen Lawrie (EPMC Awardee)Sue Fletcher-Watson (EPMC Awardee)Tara Spires-Jones (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Promoting S&T excellence and increasing the innovation capacity of the Transylvanian Institute of Neuroscience
EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Neurotechnology for Life and Health
Alzheimer's Society Doctoral Training Centre in Dementia Research at the University of Exeter
CRUK Newcastle Clinical Academic Training Programme/ Year 1 QQ2
Masters Training Program in Neurophysiology

Original classification

PhD Programme in Science (Basic)

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.