This study tests whether CBD genuinely reduces anxiety in people with social anxiety disorder. Fifty participants will receive either pharmaceutical-grade CBD or a placebo before a stressful mock interview. Researchers will measure subjective and physiological anxiety and scan participants’ brains to detect CBD’s effects, providing the first clinical evidence for or against its effectiveness.

This research develops one of the most advanced human-engineered brain models to better study Alzheimer’s disease and test treatments. Using microfluidic chips containing all key brain cell types, blood-vessel systems, and Alzheimer’s-model neurons, the project enables efficient drug testing, personalised disease modelling, and the possibility of replacing animal testing in the search for a cure.

Fruit flies normally die from sleep loss due to lethal gut inflammation. But a mutant “fumin” fly, which sleeps very little, survives without inflammation. This research investigates how altered dopamine processing protects these flies, offering insight into why sleep is essential and how sleep loss contributes to disease.

This research tests whether psychedelics improve adaptability in mice. After learning reward rules, mice with a single psychedelic treatment relearned new rules faster and used more information—learning not only from rewards but also from missed rewards. The findings suggest psychedelics enhance behavioral flexibility, offering clues for developing future mental health treatments.

This research explores neural remodeling—the process by which neurons form new connections after spinal cord injury. Using mouse models, the work identifies genes involved in detour pathways and enhances them through gene therapy, strengthening recovery. The goal is to develop future treatments that improve functional outcomes for people with central nervous system injuries.

This research uses a validated rodent model of psychosis to study sensory-filtering deficits linked to schizophrenia. Instead of blocking dopamine D2 receptors, the study uses CDPPB to modulate mGlu5 receptors and reduce D2 hypersensitivity. Treatment restores normal sensory gating, suggesting a promising therapeutic pathway with fewer side effects than current antipsychotics.

This research examines how combined THC and alcohol use alters neural communication and increases alcohol consumption. Using animal models, the study shows that co-use disrupts the glutamate system, heightening motivation to drink. Regulating glutamate with the compound CDPPB reduces alcohol intake, highlighting glutamate as a promising therapeutic target for addictio

This research uncovers how two proteins, GluA1 and PKC, regulate behavioural flexibility in the striatum. Deleting GluA1 causes animals to get “stuck,” mirroring symptoms in OCD, addiction, and autism. A new molecular tool restores flexibility by 80% in hours, offering a potential pathway for future neuropsychiatric treatments.

This research focuses on developing reliable blood-based biomarkers to evaluate new treatments for hereditary frontotemporal dementia. By identifying an imbalance between two key molecules, progranulin and prosaposin, the work aims to provide accurate measures of treatment effectiveness and bring hope to families carrying this devastating genetic condition

This research maps how drugs travel from the cerebrospinal fluid into the brain, offering an alternative to the blood–brain barrier for treating Alzheimer’s disease. Using mouse models, the study identifies specific drug-entry routes and differences in drug penetration, paving the way for targeted, efficient therapies guided by a “Google Brain Map” of delivery pathways.