Ageing and Degeneration

Research theme overview

Insert subtitle here

This theme integrates laboratory, epidemiological and clinical research to understand the pathobiology of disorders of the ageing brain, in order to develop intervention for its protection and regeneration.

Our expertise in this area ranges from cerebrovascular disease and the dementias to motor neuron disease (MND), multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s disease and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Across the disease areas and research groups, Edinburgh Neuroscience’s key strengths are in elucidating the interactions between neuronal, glial and vascular cell types in both disease mechanisms and possible regenerative strategies.

We take pride in bringing together fundamental discovery research with applied and clinical research to drive advances in knowledge and ultimately patient benefits.

Our research in this theme is supported by and nucleated in world-leading hubs of research activity, funding and expertise: 

The goal of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is, through research, to transform the lives of people affected by dementia and other related neurodegenerative conditions. The UK DRI at the University of Edinburgh is one of eight Centres within the UK wide Institute. Our specific aim is to piece together how the different cells, systems and processes work together to keep our brains healthy as we age, and what goes wrong to trigger neurodegenerative disease. 

https://www.ukdri.ac.uk/centres/edinburgh


Lothian Birth Cohorts are a research group based in Psychology. The group’s aim is to understand how our brain and thinking skills change throughout life, and why some people's brains age better than others'.

At the core of the research are two longitudinal studies of older adults: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 (LBC1921) study, established in 1999, and the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936) study, established in 2004.

One of the longest follow-up studies of cognitive ageing in the world, the LBC studies have generated a wealth of data for in-depth, high-quality research on cognitive, brain, and general ageing, leading to over 700 peer-reviewed publications to date.

https://lothian-birth-cohorts.ed.ac.uk/  


The Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic is a globally leading, patient-centred, integrated care-research facility.

The Clinic seamlessly integrates the best NHS health care with the best University health research, as key to discovering and trialling new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neurological conditions including motor neuron disease (MND), Parkinson’s and dementias.

The Clinic is transforming opportunities to take part in research. People attending an appointment at the Clinic and others across Scotland can sign up from a menu of approximately 25 active research studies, from observational studies involving clinical assessments and questionnaires, to donating a blood sample, having a brain scan, or joining a clinical drugs trial.

The Clinic’s researchers are pioneering adaptive trial designs that halve the time taken to test a drug, and are international leaders in the use of patient-donated stem cells to model ‘disease in a dish’. Cells donated in the Clinic are converted into brain cells for use in high-throughput automated drug discovery pipelines. 

https://www.annerowlingclinic.org/  


The mission of the Euan MacDonald Centre is to transform, through research, the outcomes for people living with motor neuron disease (MND) and related conditions.

The Centre is a Scotland-wide network of 250 scientists, doctors and health professionals throughout Scotland, driving collaborative research, clinical trials, training and patient/public engagement. 

The Centre’s researchers undertake research to understand more about motor neurons and what goes wrong in all forms of MND. The aim pf the Centre is to bring researchers together on a nationwide scale to spark new ideas, make best use collective resources and deliver innovative and impactful research. 

A key aim of the Centre is the training of the next generation of MND researchers. For example, it funds 3.5-year PhD studentships.

https://www.euanmacdonaldcentre.org/  


The MS Society Edinburgh Centre for MS Research is one of two MS Society Centres of Excellence (the other being the Cambridge Centre for Myelin Repair), which has been funded continuously by this charity since 2007.

To give people with progressive MS the very best chance of finding a beneficial medicine, and fast, research within the Centre is focused on three areas:

  • understanding more about neurodegeneration in progressive MS
  • creating a drug discovery pipeline involving tests to screen drugs that may prevent neurodegeneration
  • improving the ways we can use brain imaging in people with MS, to measure neurodegeneration and test the effectiveness of drugs in clinical trials

The Centre unites a further 15 senior MS researchers and their teams; approximately 150 researchers in total.

The MS Centre works closely with the Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic and UK Dementia Research Institute at Edinburgh.

https://clinical-brain-sciences.ed.ac.uk/ms-society-edinburgh-centre-for-ms-research  


The main focus of the Centre is to improve the understanding of how blood vessel diseases can damage the brain, leading to stroke, cognitive decline, dementia, and mobility problems. The Centre’s key aims are:

  • Understanding Brain Health and Vascular Disease: to educate scientists, health professionals, policymakers, and the public about the crucial link between vascular health and brain function.
  • Promoting Knowledge Exchange: By facilitating learning and collaboration, to enhance patient care and drive innovative research.
  • Encouraging Excellence: To support and attract the best students and scientists from around the world to focus on Small Vessel Disease.

https://clinical-brain-sciences.ed.ac.uk/row-fogo-centre-for-research-into-ageing-and-the-brain  


Dementia.Ed

Connecting dementia researchers within Edinburgh Neuroscience to an even wider community of researchers in other fields whose work is relevant to dementia, is a new network, Dementia.ED.

Launched in 2025, the Dementia.ED research network is a shared platform bringing together the breadth of dementia research at the University of Edinburgh and establishing a common dementia research profile at the University for the public, third sector, and government. 

Connecting more than 100 academics, researchers, and students across three Colleges Dementia.ED fosters inclusive community, nurtures knowledge exchange, advocates for patient and public involvement, and supports the development of innovative collaborations and interdisciplinary grant proposals for dementia research, advancing our understanding into causes, treatments, and life with dementia. 

https://uoe.sharepoint.com/sites/Dementia-ED  

This article was published on