College of Medicine & Veterinary Medicine

Royal visit for motor neurone centre

Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal has toured University laboratories where scientists are committed to defeating motor neurone disease.

The Princess Royal visited the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research based at the university.

Motor Neurone Disease Association

The Princess Royal visited the university in her role as Royal Patron of the MND (Motor Neurone Disease) Association.

This was also her first engagement at the university since she was elected as Chancellor on 31 March 2011.

During a lab tour she met leading researchers who are being funded by the MND Association.

I am no different to most motor neurone disease patients who are keen to do anything they can to help the search for meaningful treatments. This can be through participation in clinical trials, tissue donation or fundraising for research

Euan MacDonald

This funding is part of the MND Association’s groundbreaking, international MND stem cell research programme.

Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research

Euan MacDonald, an Edinburgh-born investment banker, was diagnosed with MND in 2003 at the age of just 29.

In 2007, Euan and his father, Donald, established the Euan MacDonald Centre at the university which is committed to defeating MND through partnership and innovative research.

Through research we hope to find treatments that will slow, stop and ultimately reverse motor neurone disease, a devastating and incurable condition. Research includes modelling disease in a dish, by using stem cells where we can generate patient-specific motor neurons from a simple skin biopsy.

Professor Siddharthan ChandranDirector of the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neurone Disease Research

Research

Research funded by the MND Association funded includes a collaboration between the Euan MacDonald Centre in Edinburgh, King’s College London and Columbia University in New York.

This includes the manipulation of stem cells to studying Motor Neurone Disease with the aim of helping develop new drugs.

Over the past five years, the University of Edinburgh has developed a remarkable focus on motor neurone disease research activity thanks to the efforts of key high-calibre scientists and the drive and determination of Euan MacDonald and his family.

Dr Kirstine KnoxChief Executive of the MND Association