University College London
Institute of Child Health, University College London
The Neuromuscular Centre at the Institute of Child Health has a longstanding tradition of excellence in the field of diagnosis, management and care of childhood neuromuscular conditions. The strength of the unit is the large critical mass of patients, the diagnostic pathology expertise together with an active program of research and key national and international collaborations.
The Neuromuscular Centre follows the largest cohort of children affected by neuromuscular conditions in UK and have an active role in networking the remaining UK Units; Francesco Muntoni is the PI in a phase I/II trial using antisense oligonucleotides in DMD in UK. The Centre has an active program of research on muscular dystrophy, which led to the identification of 5 novel genes in the last few years.
Website
http://www.ich.ucl.ac.uk
http://www.ucl.ac.uk
Francesco Muntoni - Professor of Paediatric Neurology, Director
Francesco Muntoni (Professor in Pediatric Neurology, FRCPCH, FMedSci): Director of the Unit with oversight of both clinical and research activities. Key National and International contacts; 230 publications. Fields of research: genetic basis of muscular dystrophies; antisense oligonucleotides (PI on a Department of Health funded phase 1 trial in DMD); trials he has also taken a significant role in the scientific activities of the European Neuromuscular Centre (ENMC), with participation to 38 international workshops over the last 13 years, of which he organised 9. He is chairman of the ENMC Congenital muscular dystrophy Consortium. Since 2000 he has been invited for lectures or Keynote addresses to 39 International Conferences, including all major International events. He has been one of the coordinating units for the EU FP5 (GENRE, as part of the Myocluster project).
Dominic J Wells - Professor Gene Targeting Group
Professor Dominic J Wells, MA VetMB PhD MRCVS, is a registered veterinary surgeon who qualified from Cambridge University in 1984. After several years in general practice he moved to the USA and did his PhD on hummingbird flight. After that he returned to the UK with a lecturer post at the Royal Veterinary College where he first became involved in DMD research. From 1995 he has been based at the Imperial College.
His research over the last 18 years has focussed on methods of somatic gene transfer with particular emphasis on DMD and the generation and analysis of genetically modified mice. Dominic's laboratory is examining the factors influencing the efficiency of local and systemic administration of antisense oligos in the mdx mouse model of DMD. They not only assess dystrophin expression by RT-PCR, western blots and immunostaining but also are fully equipped to assess in vivo and in vitro muscle function.
Susan C. Brown - Reader in Experimental Pathology
Dr. Susan C. Brown (Senior Lecturer, PhD) Cell Biologist and biochemist; expertise in biochemical analysis of muscular dystrophy patients and animal models. Generation of animal models of muscular dystrophy (EDMD; MDC1C). 43 publications.
