Dr Amanda Wood has been awarded a grant worth more than 2 million Euros by the European Research Council to look at whether brain imaging biomarkers can predict outcomes of childhood brain injury.

Early life brain insults can have lifelong effects on children’s behaviour and thinking skills. It is important to identify those most at risk after a brain injury in order to provide targeted, early intervention so that children recover well. Funding from the European Research Council over five years will support Dr Wood and her team to determine whether brain imaging biomarkers can predict individual neuropsychological and neurobehavioural outcomes following childhood brain injury, and to identify those factors that combine optimally to classify outcomes. The programme of translational neuroscience research combines mathematical modelling, neuroimaging analysis and detailed assessment of children’s achievement, behaviour and cognitive ability. The work will have a major impact on healthcare provision and support for families.

The research project will be titled 'PROBIt' ('Identifying Predictors of Risk and Resilience for poor neuropsychological Outcome following childhood Brain Insults').