Thank you to everyone who joined the NRC Research Launch Event on 11 May. It was fantastic to see such strong interest and engagement in shaping the future of rehabilitation research.
Since the event, we have launched a survey to help shape the development of our three proposed flagship research programmes. Thank you to everyone who has already completed our survey, your feedback is invaluable in guiding the next steps of this important work.
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Thanks to funding from the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC), a doctoral researcher has developed a novel 3D tissue model to support future rehabilitation research by growing human sensory neurons and muscle cells together in the lab.
Maria Mendoza Hidalgo, who is currently completing an NRC-supported PhD at Loughborough University, created an advanced human in vitro model – a powerful tool to study how sensory neurons and muscle cells interact at the molecular level. Its application can support the development of improved therapeutic and rehabilitation strategies for neuromuscular diseases and injuries.
A first-of-its-kind study by the National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) has demonstrated how specialist inpatient rehabilitation can result in significant and lasting improvements for FND patients.
‘Inpatient Neurorehabilitation Benefits Patients with Functional Neurological Disorder: A Single Centre Study’ has been co-authored by a number of highly experienced rehabilitation clinicians including Professor Manoj Sivan, Dr Javvad Haider and Dr Weaam Ibraheem, and is the first original clinical study to come from the country’s brand-new NRC.
Functional Neurological Disorders (FND) describes a variety of issues experienced by patients where the brain is not sending and receiving information correctly to the body. This can result in a variety of neurological symptoms including leg or arm weakness.
A PhD student from Loughborough University whose research was supported by NRC funding has already won multiple awards for her work and has been published in an international journal.
Tamara Valenčič has been exploring the long-term effects of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) using a hamstring tendon graft on the neural control of the knee extensor and flexor muscles.
As a result of her reseach, she has already been published in the Journal of Applied Physiology - part of the American Physiological Society - and has won three awards for her work.
A PhD student supported by funding from the NRC has found that earlier mobilisation in patients who have suffered a spinal cord injury can lead to shorter hospital stays and better outcomes.
Natalie Gray, studying for her doctorate at the University of Nottingham, identified that although the UK traditionally uses a two to six-week bed rest period for patients following a spinal cord injury (SCI) to facilitate recovery, clinical practice varies and this prolonged bedrest had also been associated with negative patient outcomes.
Therefore, Natalie explored the influence of early mobilisation (e.g. sitting, standing) on patient recovery outcomes following SCI.
A PhD student and qualified physiotherapist has already been published in the British Medical Journal for her work on hospital-acquired deconditioning – an important illness requiring rehabilitation.
Dr Meri Westlake, whose PhD was supported through NRC funding, studied at the University of Nottingham where she investigated how healthcare professionals recognise and respond to hospital-acquired deconditioning (HAD).
A PhD student supported by National Rehabilitation Centre (NRC) funding has successfully completed his doctorate at Loughborough University and has helped to create a new research organisation using 3D muscle models.
Dr Pablo Marco Garrido recognised that whilst 2D lab grown tissue cultures have provided insights into myogenic differentiation, they fail to replicate the complex architecture and contractile behaviour of native muscle.
In contrast, 3D models better mimic in vivo conditions, promoting alignment, extracellular matrix integration, and functional maturation. However, the relationship between structural development and contractile performance in these models is not well understood.
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