One of the many ways your Cure Finders donations can help the MND Association drive forward ground-breaking research is by funding MND researchers at the very start of their careers.

The MND Association’s Pre-Fellowship Scheme, which is run as part of the UK MND Research Institute (UKMNDRI), means that researchers can apply for between 12-18 months of funding allowing them to pull together the experimental data they need before applying for a Fellowship Scheme as part of the next stage of their research journey.

Dr Heather Marriott is one of those researchers whose work has been funded by your donations. She was inspired to get involved having had first-hand experience of caring for a close family member who lived with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) – a condition similar to MND.

Her work is focused around analysing biological data from people living with MND and grouping them based on activity patterns and the differences which exist in their genetic code. Having this important knowledge could hold the key to developing, and selecting, the most effective treatments for them.

She said:

While my day-to-day work doesn’t involve direct patient care, my personal connection ensures that the focus and objectives of my research are centred on improving outcomes for people with MND.

This pre-fellowship is incredibly special in many ways. I’ll be able to develop my independence with the support of experienced mentors who appreciate the successes and challenges of research. The opportunity to engage and collaborate with researchers across the UK MNDRI is something I am really looking forward to because it is such a unique and encouraging environment! Getting to connect closely and communicate my research with people affected by MND is such an exciting aspect of this pre-fellowship too, as their experiences and perspectives will inform and shape my research.