Skip to main content

School of Neuroscience

Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

ALS/motor neuron disease

People with motor neuron disease (MND), also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), develop progressive weakness of speaking, swallowing, limbs and eventually breathing.

One in every 300 people will develop ALS/MND, typically in their 50s or 60s. It is a devastating diagnosis with an average life expectancy of just three years.

Working closely with our patients, our prize-winning, world-leading research programme aims to understand the causes of ALS/MND, dissect out the differences between clinical presentations, and use this information to develop new treatments.

Our key questions:

Which genes are involved in ALS/MND?
How do these genes change nervous system structure and function?
What influences disease progression?
What is the effect of factors such as genes or environment on disease progression?
Can changes in the way a patient thinks or copes affect outcomes?

Click people profiles to discover their research:

Dr Ahmad Al Khleifat

Senior Research Fellow
Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi

Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics
Dr Manolis Fanto

Reader in Functional Genomics
Dr Frank Hirth

Reader of Evolutionary Neuroscience
Professor Corinne Houart

Professor of Developmental Neurobiology
Dr Maria Jimenez-Sanchez

MRC Career Development Fellow
Professor Heinz Jungbluth

Professor of Paediatric Neurology & Consultant Paediatric Neurologist
Dr Younbok Lee

Senior Lecturer
Dr Ivo Lieberam

Senior Lecturer
Dr Sarah Marzi

Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience
Professor Christopher Miller

Professor of Molecular Neuroscience
Dr Jackie Mitchell

Lecturer in In Vivo Modelling of Neurodegeneration
Dr Sarah Mizielinska

Senior Lecturer
Dr Marc-David Ruepp

Reader in RNA Biology and Molecular Neurodegeneration
Dr Andrea Serio

Reader in Neural Tissue Engineering
Professor Christopher Shaw

Professor of Neurology and Neurogenetics
Dr Jemeen Sreedharan

Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow
Dr Claire Troakes

Senior Lecturer
Professor Jernej Ule

Van Geest Professor of Neurodegeneration Research
Dr Caroline Vance

Senior Lecturer

Ageing and neurodegeneration

News and events

Highly cited 2024 780x440

19 November 2024

IoPPN researchers among most cited in the world

Clarivate's 2024 Highly Cited Researchers list features 29 IoPPN academics and researchers.

Laura Andreae Katie Long BBSRC

8 November 2024

Researchers awarded BBSRC grant to investigate the role of neuronal activity in brain development.

The project will look at how brain connections are formed in the early stage of development in mouse…

3 Dec

With an eye on the brain (3)

Professor Robert Hindges - Inaugural Lecture

03 December 2024

Join us in celebrating Professor Robert Hindges' inaugural lecture on 'With an eye on the brain.'

11 Dec

RNAbrain_header_Dec11

RNA Biology of the Nervous System

11 December 2024

London RNA Club Minisymposium is coming to King's College London on 11 December 2024 14.00-18.00