Brain mechanisms in health and disease

Research theme focusing on determining the mechanisms underlying a range of conditions such as Parkinson’s and movement disorders, chronic pain, addiction, anxiety and depression
Brain connections in colourful illustration
The brain mechanisms in health and disease research theme builds upon the world-leading expertise at the Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC) and applies the multimodal capabilities of BRIC and translational collaborations to determine the mechanisms underlying a range of conditions such as Parkinson’s and movement disorders, chronic pain, addiction, anxiety and depression. 
The research theme is home to an array of world-leading research such as:
  • Vestibular rehabilitation: exploring neural and functional recovery from impairment. 
  • Dopaminergic pathways and cognition: investigating dopamine's role in cognitive processes. 
  • Neural mechanisms of anxiety: dissecting the brain's response to stress and fear. 
  • Addiction neuroscience: understanding the neural circuits of addictive behaviours. 
  • Neuroscience of reward: neural network processes underlying reward processing.
 

Research projects

Roche at the Brain Research and Imaging Centre 
Floodlight MS Project with Roche Pharmaceuticals
Paper image of sad person depicting depression.
Brain connectivity over a year of recovery from depression
SUSTAIN SW
SUSTAIN South West
Dr Elsa Fouragnan in the Brain Stimulation Lab (purple wash)
Transcranial Ultrasound Stimulation (TUS)
BRIC Pain Lab
An investigation into the therapeutic potential of virtual natural environments for chronic low back pain
Pain Modulation Lab
Virtually painless? Steps towards mechanism-driven use of immersive virtual reality for chronic pain

Other exciting projects include:

  • Mapping the brain circuit of pain modulation with transcranial ultrasound stimulation (TUS).
  • Investigating the causal role of anterior insula on response inhibition using TUS.
  • Research into alcohol addiction using TUS.
  • Researching vestibular bends in divers in collaboration with DDRC Healthcare.
  • Developing a CO2 anxiety model.
  • Hepatic encephalopathy – pre/post liver transplant.
  • Neuroimaging study of the pre-testing effect.
  • Enhancing reward sensitivity in dysphoria by combining brain stimulation with cognitive interventions.