Brain Health and Injury

We integrate discovery science, advanced imaging, biomarker development and real-world data to accelerate translation from mechanism to patient benefit. Our work spans the full translational pipeline, from experimental models through to clinical studies embedded within NHS pathways, enabling rapid progression from biological insight to clinical application.

Working across strong regional, national and international partnerships, we define the biological and environmental drivers of neurological disease, develop and validate scalable diagnostic technologies, and deliver experimental medicine studies and early-phase trials. These activities are closely aligned with clinical services, ensuring that advances are implemented into care pathways and reach patients at pace.

The group within Dept of Biomedical Sciences includes Professor Lisa Hill, Lt Col (Professor) James Mitchell, Dr Hannah Botfield and Dr William Scotton, and is embedded within a clinically active ecosystem spanning civilian and defence populations, providing a distinctive platform for impactful, real-world research.

We lead large-scale translational programmes, including the development of a world-first mobile quantum brain scanner to assess blast exposure, the mTBI-Predict programme, and research across traumatic brain injury, stroke and neurodegenerative disease.

Our portfolio is defined by scale, clinical integration and deliverability, positioning the group to generate measurable improvements in diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes.