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The Rowe Lab....
What do we do?
We are a multidisciplinary research group, spanning the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and the Cambridge University Department of Clinical Neurosciences. We are situated on the Chaucer Road site and the Herchel-Smith Building for Brain and Mind Sciences, along with collaborators in the Department Psychiatry and the Cambridge University Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute.
Our research emphasises the synergy between basic cognitive neuroscience and neurodegenerative behaviorual disorders. This underpins the bidirectional nature of translational neuroscience, from lab to clinic and from clinic to lab. Our objectives are
(1) to understand the mechanisms of healthy behavioural control, selecting appropriate goal-oriented behaviours and inhibiting them.
(2) in collaboration with Dr Calder, to understand social and emotion cognition, of direct relevance to developmental and neurodegenerative disorders of social cogniton.
(3) to characterise the cognitive consequences of neurodegenerative disease, establishing the structure-function relationships that link selective vulnerability of neurons to neuropathology and specific clinical phenotypes
(4) to develop cognitive and neuroimaging markers as outcome measures for pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatments, including symptomatic treatment and (in the future) disease modifying therapies.
(5) to restore or optimise behaviorual control with Parksinon's disease and Pick's Disease Complex.
With these objectives in mind, we apply functional and structural brain imaging methods (fMRI, VBM, MEG) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in combination with neuropsychological paradigms, computational modeling and psychopharmacological interventions. We have a particular interest in brain network connectivity, and the neural basis of action decisions. Our human volunteers inlude healthy young and old adults, alongside people with Parkinsons' disease and Pick's Disease Complex (Frontotemporal dementia, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy and Corticobasal Degeneration).
Who are we?
Dr James Rowe, Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow in Clinical Science
Dr Laura Hughes (2006-) Post doctoral Scientist, Cambridge University Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Dr Ellemarije Altena (2009-) Post doctoral Scientist, Cambridge University Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Dr Jiaxing Zhang (2010-) Post doctoral Scientist, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Mr Johan Carlin (2008-11) MRC Graduate Student, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Dr Timothy Rittman (2010-13), Clinical Research fellow, Cambridge University Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Mr Noham Wolpe (2010-13), Gates Scholar, Cambridge University Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Ms Charlotte Rae (2010-13) MRC Graduate Student, Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
Dr Cristina Nombelo Otero (2010-2014) Post doctoral Scientist, Parkinson's disease Society research fellow
Ms Julie Wiggins (2011-) Research Nurse, Cambridge University Department of Clinical Neuroscience
Mrs Sabina Bryant,(2009-) Secretary
Ms Chelan Weaver (2010-12) Gates Scholar, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (Supervisor Dr Mike Anderson)
with the recent departure of Dr Boyd Ghosh (2007-10), MRC Clinical Training fellow, Cambridge University Department of Clinical Neuroscience, to his specialist neurology training in Southampton.
and imminent arrival of Dr Timothy Yates (ACF) and Dr Arpan Mehta (ACF) later in 2011.
Our sources of funding?
We are funded by the Wellcome Trust, the MRC, the BBSRC, Parkinson's UK, and the NIHR Cambridge Comprehensive Biomedical Research Centre. We enjoy active collaborations within the Cambridge Neuroscience comunity including Dr Roger Barker, Professor Trevor Robbins, Dr Peter Nestor, Prof. Lolly Tyler, Dr Andrew Calder, Prof. John Duncan, Prof Daniel Wolpert and Prof. Patrick Haggard, and external collborations including Prof hartwig Siebner at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance and Prof. Gitte Moos Knudsen at the Centre for Integrated Molecualr Brain Imagin, Copenhagen, Dr Jessica Grahn and Prof Adrian Owen at the university of Western Ontario.