[IMAGE DESCRIPTION] NF2 BioSolutions UK and Europe COO Joanne Ward Lanyard for the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre Showcase
I was delighted to be invited to the inaugural GJBRC showcase event on Friday 19th January 2024.
It was a very cold and frosty start as I travelled by train to the Manchester
Hyatt Regency which was fantastically located less than 1 mile from Manchester-Oxford Road station.
The Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre (GJBRC) combines discovery science and experimental medicine to rapidly translate research into healthcare benefit.
Our 2 PhD sponsored students (Grace Gregory and Adam Paul Jones) research NF2 here along with all sorts of things “brain related”. NF2 is studied & researched under their “brain tumour” programme.
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION] From left to right: Adam Paul Jones, Joanne Ward, Grace Gregory, Miriam Hernandez-Meadows. Adam, Grace and Miriam are PhD students at Manchester working on NF2.
After an amazing arrival lunch (those firecracker prawns were really something!) various speakers presented their most recent research on differing brain conditions to an audience of over 200 (including consultants, neurosurgeons, researchers and charities)
- Petra Hamerlik gave an amazing talk on GBM (Glioblastoma) biomarkers in tears followed by Tom Kisby talking about nanotechnology.
- Dr Adrian Parry-Jones, Emily McMahon & Dr Keiran Smith wowed us with stroke research using zebrafish for drug discovery.
- There was a session about the importance of patients taking part in research.
- Talks on Dementia & Parkinsons followed.
Professor Omar Pathmanaban our research lead presented about NF2 research on inflammation in Vestibular Schwannoma (VS) and the importance of linking expert clinicians caring for patients with schwannomas with scientists researching more effective treatments. This is where NF2 BioSolutions UK & Europe is important in making sure research is relevant and reiterating its translational needs to ensure NF2 patients benefit first and foremost.
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION] Professor Omar Pathmanaban and NF2 BioSolution s UK and Europe COO Joanne Ward
Grace then presented her research on the parallels between sporadic VS and NF2 associated VS to identify possible targets for drug treatments. The prevalence of sporadic VS is far greater than NF2 VS and can therefore give access to more data as Grace showed that the micro environment in these tumours was in fact very similar and therefore would create more therapeutic targets.
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION] PhD student Grace Gregory and NF2 BioSolution s UK and Europe COO Joanne Ward
The whole sessions of talks were 100% accessible with captions.
With the talks over, we grabbed a glass of fizz, and I managed a chat with Grace and Prof Kevin Couper and we talked about the urgent need of new treatments especially for our children with an NF2 diagnosis – this group is so often overlooked in clinical trials.
[IMAGE DESCRIPTION] Professor Kevin Couper, PhD student Grace Gregory and NF2 BioSolution s UK and Europe COO Joanne Ward
As for the day itself admittedly I was way out my comfort zone, but I finally got to meet Omar, Adam and Kevin.
The GJBRC do amazing research and I am very proud of us in the spotlight amongst the very big research studies for very big, well-known conditions. To have our research on this level and this platform is just amazing for our tiny #raredisease and our very small charity. The researchers are committed to making a difference to the NF2 community.
And so it was a late train home & a big glass of wine!
If you would like to find out more information about the GJBRC you can do so here:
Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre | The University of Manchester (gjbrainresearch.org)
You can follow them on X (Twitter) @GJBrainResearch
If you would like to read the research papers from our sponsored research you can do so here: