St Andrews neuroscientist joins prestigious Young Investigators Programme

Dr Ilary Allodi from the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews has been awarded a place on the prestigious EMBO Young Investigators programme.

Dr Allodi said: “The programme offers excellent network opportunities to all my lab members. This will allow us to grow scientifically and professionally as a team. The EMBO YIP will not only benefit me but also my team, and they are the core of our science. It is a validation of the work we are conducting in the lab and, at the same time, a great motivation to do better and reach further.”

The team has made several breakthroughs in research into ALS and Frontotemporal dementia, particularly around understanding the connections between inhibitory neurons in the spinal cord and how they lose their connections to motor neurons early in disease.  Basing their ongoing work on a new generation of genetic therapy that can target neurons in the brain and spinal cord efficiently after intravenous administration, their therapy increased motor neuron survival and improved the motor functions in a mouse model of ALS.

More on this story can be found on the University's news page.