Researcher awarded training fellowship

Ashwani Jha (UCL Institute of Neurology) has been awarded £170,000 from the Parkinson's Disease Society (PDS) for research into parts of the brain that are associated with specific symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease occurs when particular nerve cells die in the brain, making it increasingly difficult to relay messages between the parts that control movement. Jha will carry out the research with a group of 25 people with advanced Parkinson's disease. As part of the team working under Professor Peter Brown, he will measure the electrical activity on the surface of the brain. He will also look deep inside the brain by using surgically placed electrodes implanted for a treatment known as Deep Brain Stimulation. He will then investigate how the electrical signals vary within the group and how this may relate to individual symptoms. Jha commented: 'This research should help us identify ways of providing new targeted treatments for individuals with Parkinson's disease, which will be a major step forward in our management of the condition.' Kieran Breen, Director of Research and Development at the Parkinson's Disease Society added: 'We know that the symptoms of Parkinson's, such as tremors and slowness of movement, can make life very difficult for people with the condition.