News

Find out about what's been happening at the Centre.

Stunning microscope image of neurons labelled gold

New publication: Synaptopathy in the TDP-43ΔNLS Mouse Model of Sporadic Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Nov 2025: St Andrews ALS research team finds early synapse loss in ALS mouse model

wide shot of the auditorium from the back showing the audience and projection screens

Video recordings of Tribute to Euan MacDonald Symposium

Nov 2025: The recordings of the Tribute to Euan MacDonald Symposium (8th-9th October 2025) are now available.

Megan and Tim Campbell after finishing the Six Lakes Marathon, both are wearing Euan MacDonald Centre t-shirts and finishers' medals

Megan Campbell: Running for Euan

Nov 2025: Megan's marathon journey for the Euan MacDonald Centre

The front cover of the Taylor & Francis online publication Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration journal

Self-reported initiation apathy is related to worse quality of life in ALS

Nov 2025: New publication explores the link between apathy and quality of life.

New research: A potential role for immune cells in neuromuscular degeneration

Oct 2025: Researchers have uncovered a mechanism that causes infiltration of immune cells into muscle in MND, which may contribute to neurodegeneration.

A picture of Euan MacDonald, with the symposium title and partner logos

A Tribute to Euan MacDonald Symposium: 8-9 Oct 2025

Oct 2025: On 8th and 9th October, 300 researchers, friends and supporters of the Euan MacDonald Centre gathered in Edinburgh to celebrate the legacy of our founder, the late Euan MacDonald MBE.

Hazel Allardyce and Ashley Donald at their research stand with microscope showing a healthy human spinal cord and a MND spinal cord where the motor neurons are lost. Models of the brain and spinal to show what is affected in MND. Playdoh brains with beads so children could interact, a model showing how the message from the brain/spinal cord and muscles is disturbed in MND made of 3 tubes, 1 hollow, 1 partly filled, 1 fully filled , using marbles to travel down the tubes or not in the 3rd MND model

Opening Doors to Science in Aberdeen

Sept 2025: Inspiring curiosity and connection through science at Aberdeen’s Doors Open Day.

A picture of Angela Brown, fundraiser who uses flowers to fundraise

Angela Brown shares her story of strength and fundraising in memory of her brother

Sept 2025: Fundraising spotlight - making a difference with flowers.

A group picture of attendees at the MND Association's MND EnCouRage 2025 conference

MND EnCouRage UK 2025: More Than a Conference

Sept 2025: Jade Lucas, Edinburgh University PhD student shares her experiences of the MND EnCouRage UK 2025 conference.

Suvankar Pal becomes Group Leader at UK Dementia Research Institute

Jun 2025: Prof Pal's Group Leader Position at the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) will support the Institute in delivering its vision of healthy brain ageing for all.

A female researcher wearing a lab coat, pipetting at a lab bench.

Summer 2025 newsletter

Jun 2025: Our Summer newsletter is now available.

MND SMART trial team and associated researchers at the annual meeting 2024: a group of approximately 100 people outside, with Edinburgh Castle in the background

Fourth investigational arm launched in MND-SMART clinical trial

Jun 2025: A fourth drug, tacrolimus, has recently been launched in MND-SMART.

Eight people standing with linked arms outside near the finish line of the Edinburgh marathon relay, wearing light blue Euan MacDonald Centre T-shirts and with medals around their necks

Our community steps up for MND research at the Edinburgh Marathon Festival

Jun 2025: A record 30 runners took part in the Edinburgh Marathon Festival this year to raise funds and awareness for the Euan MacDonald Centre.

Presentations at the 2025 ENCALS scientific conference

Jun 2025: Highlighting our early-career researchers who are presenting their work at this year's European Network to Cure ALS conference.

Three people standing indoors,smiling and holding a certificate, with a Euan MacDonald Centre banner in the background

Congratulations to the Hampton Award Winners 2025

May 2025: Three members of our community were awarded this year's Hampton Award for going 'above and beyond'.

New research: Not all synapses are equally vulnerable to degeneration

May 2025: A new study has uncovered important clues about the degeneration of nerve cells in MND.

The front page of the Science Signaling 15 April 2025 edition. Blue coloured motor neurons

New research publication: insights into how nerve-muscle connections develop

Apr 2025: A team of researchers led by Prof Tom Gillingwater's laboratory at the University of Edinburgh, have uncovered the complex series of molecular changes that occur in motor neurons around the time of birth.

A picture of Maja Matoga, PhD student funded by the Euan MacDonald Centre

Welcome to Maja Matoga, our latest Euan MacDonald Centre funded PhD student

Feb 2025: Maja Matoga joined the Euan MacDonald Centre at the end of last year as our latest Centre-funded PhD student.

A picture of Ilary Allodi in her laboratory with a microscope in the background showing images of cells brightly coloured purple

Dr Ilary Allodi joins EMBO Young Investigator Programme

Feb 2025: Congratulations to Dr Ilary Allodi, Euan MacDonald Centre Principal Investigator at the University of St Andrews, who has joined a prestigious investigator programme.

Dr Andrea Salzinger smiling and wearing a home-made graduation hat

PhD congratulations to Dr Andrea Salzinger

Jan 2025: Many congratulations to Dr Andrea Salzinger who has successfully completed her PhD.

Motor neurons in green and blood vessels in red in a healthy and an SMA sample of spinal cord. The lack of blood vessels in SMA is apparent, and one of the key focusses of the recent grant funding.

New funding to accelerate research into Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Jan 2025: Professor Simon Parson has secured 2 new research grants to support his work into non-motor neuron pathology in Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

A picture of a nurse in uniform talking to a patient in a consulting room.

MND-SMART: Interim Analysis Stage 1 - Amantadine - Results

Dec 2024: Stage 1 interim analysis for amantadine has now been completed and it has been decided to continue testing this drug.

A picture of a scientist pipetting fluid. The scientist is wearing a white laboratory coat.

Winter 2024 newsletter

Dec 2024: Our winter newsletter is now available.

5 young Euan MacDonald Centre researchers standing alongside the MND Association Symposium banner

Euan MacDonald Centre at the 2024 MND Association Symposium

Dec 2024: Today marks the start of the MND Association 35th International Symposium on ALS/MND.

MND-SMART: first results published

Sept 2024: The scientific data for the first two drugs tested in MND-SMART, memantine and trazodone, has been analysed, reviewed by experts, and published.

A picture of Denise O'Keefe wearing a Euan MacDonald Centre lab coat the picture is taken with the laboratory as the background.

Celebrating our research technicians

Sept 2024: It's Technicians' Week at the University of Edinburgh! We are celebrating the vital role of laboratory technicians by featuring one of our technicians, Denise O'Keefe.

A message from Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director of the Euan MacDonald Centre

21 Aug 2024: On behalf of the Euan MacDonald Centre, it is with immense sorrow that I am sharing the sad news that Euan MacDonald died today.