News
News
Find out about what's been happening at the Clinic.
Coronavirus - Latest information on clinic appointments
May 2021: Up-to-date information on appointments at the Anne Rowling Clinic.
Mini 3-D brain models could speed up search for MS treatments
May 2021: New research from Anne Rowling Clinic researchers hopes to move forward the development of new treatments.
Clinic supports vaccinations of nearly 10,000 NHS staff
April 2021: The Anne Rowling Clinic has helped in the fight against the pandemic by hosting the NHS Lothian staff vaccine clinics.
Clinic team stride out to raise funds
April 2021: The team of staff from the Clinic will take part in the Kiltwalk between 23 and 25 April.
World Parkinson’s Day
April 2021: For World Parkinson’s Day (11 April) find out what’s happening in Parkinson’s research at the Anne Rowling Clinic.
Planning permission received for Clinic extension
March 2021: Planning permission granted for extension to the Anne Rowling Clinic building.
On Covid & the Clinic - Dr Zack Hassan
February 2021: The Scotsman has published an opinion piece from one of our Rowling Clinical Fellows.
Rowling Scholar's research provides exciting new focus for potential MND drug treatments
January 2021: Motor neurone disease treatments that boost energy in nerve cells could be developed thanks to new research from Dr Arpan Mehta.
Winter newsletter 2020
December 2020: Our latest newsletter is now available.
New staff join the team
December 2020: Meet the new staff that have joined the Clinic team over the last few months.
Clinic researchers share findings at international symposium on MND
December 2020: Researchers will join together online from Wednesday 9 – Friday 11 December for the MNDA event.
New neurodegenerative diseases course launches
December 2020: Clinic staff have contributed to the development of a new course to increase understanding about MND, Parkinson's, MS and other conditions.
Biotin MS treatment study results published
December 2020: The company conducting this treatment trial concluded that unfortunately high-dose biotin did not improve the symptoms of MS.
Max Perutz Science Writing Award winner
October 2020: Many congratulations to Rowling Scholar Maria Stavrou, who has received a commendation in the 2020 MRC Max Perutz Science Writing competition.
CCMR One Clinical Drug Trial update
October 2020: Trial results presented at European Committee for Treatment and Research in MS on September 26th 2020
New research: 'Toxic effect' of cerebrospinal fluid in MND
August 2020: A review of scientific literature has revealed that cerebrospinal fluid obtained from people with motor neurone disease is damaging to cells.
Summer Newsletter 2020
July 2020: Our latest newsletter is now available.
MS-STAT2 Update
July 2020: We chatted to Dawn Lyle, Research Project Coordinator and Lead Research Nurse at the Clinic, for an update on the MS-STAT2 clinical trial.
New faces in the Clinic
July 2020: Meet the new staff that have joined the Clinic team over the last few months.
Clinic study proves reliability of videoconferencing for MND appointments
June 2020: Our research has found that appointments via videoconference are as effective as face-to-face appointments, and that people with MND are keen to use videoconference for future consultations.
Life during lockdown
June 2020: An update from the Anne Rowling Clinic team amidst the coronavirus pandemic.
SpeakUnique launches as online company
June 2020: Today we’re delighted to announce the launch of the research spin-out company – SpeakUnique.
Study published into MND drug riluzole
May 2020: The study reviewed riluzole prescribing, uptake and treatment discontinuation in Scotland.
Review article published on the neurological impact of coronaviruses
May 2020: A team led by Rowling Scholar, Dr Arpan Mehta, has published a timely review article summarising the emerging evidence pointing to various neurological effects of COVID-19.
Results published of audit of MND cognitive assessments led by Rowling Scholar
April 2020: The findings of a study have been published this week auditing cognitive assessments in people with MND in Scotland.
Coronavirus - All Clinic appointments now by telephone
In response to coronavirus, from Monday 23rd March all appointments at the Anne Rowling Clinic will take place by telephone.
Information on coronavirus (COVID-19) and Motor Neurone Disease (MND)
Information for people who attend NHS Lothian MND clinics at the Anne Rowling Clinic. Published Thursday 26th March 2020.
Information on coronavirus (COVID-19) and neuroinflammatory disease
Information for people who attend NHS Lothian neuroinflammatory clinics at the Anne Rowling Clinic. Published Friday 20 March 2020.
Information on coronavirus (COVID-19) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) disease modifying therapies
Information for people who attend NHS Lothian MS clinics at the Anne Rowling Clinic. Published Friday 20 March 2020.
Clinic sees first participant in new MND Clinical Trial
March 2020: The Anne Rowling Clinic is the first UK trial centre to open for MND-SMART, the pioneering new MND clinical trial from the Euan MacDonald Centre.
David Hunt appointed Professor of Neuroinflammatory Medicine
Feb 2020: Many congratulations to David Hunt on his promotion to Professor.
MND-SMART: landmark MND trial to launch at the Anne Rowling Clinic
January 2020: The new innovative clinical trial MND-SMART is now seeking people with MND from across the UK to test potential new treatments.
Winter newsletter 2019
Dec 2019: Our latest newsletter is now available.
Our 2019 Fundraising Round-up
Dec 2019: To all our awesome fundraisers – thank you so much for walking, baking, cycling, joking and selling. Whatever you chose to do, we hope you enjoyed fundraising and feel deservedly proud of what you have achieved. As well as supporting vital research, you have also helped raise awareness of the Anne Rowling Clinic. Thank you.
30 years of the Scottish National MND Register
Dec 2019: The Scottish National MND Register, which has become an invaluable resource for research and to monitor care across the country, was founded in 1989, the first national MND register in the world.
Dr Belinda Weller
Nov 2019: Dr Belinda Weller, Consultant Neurologist and researcher, has passed away.
Clinic scholarships helping to train neuroscience researchers across the world
Nov 2019: Dr Jamil Said received an Anne Rowling Clinic Regenerative Neurology Scholarship to help him realise his ambitions to advance neuroscience research in Africa.
Parkinson's fundraiser is picture perfect
Nov 2019: We're incredibly grateful to Norman Yarrow, David Yarrow Photography and The Hunter Foundation for a wonderful evening at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum in Glasgow.
New Parkinson's clinic sees first patients
Oct 2019: Welcome to Dr David Breen as he starts his new Parkinson's clinic.
September research open evening success
Sept 2019: Visitors joined staff and researchers to learn more about the activities of the Clinic.
J.K. Rowling donates further £15m to multiple sclerosis research
Sep 2019: The author J.K. Rowling has donated £15.3m to the University of Edinburgh to help improve the lives of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and similar conditions.
Shuna Colville announces her retirement
Aug 2019: After seven years as the first Anne Rowling Clinic and Research Project Manager, Shuna Colville is retiring.
Prestigious award for Rowling Scholar
Aug 2019: Congratulations to Dr Maria Stavrou who has been awarded a Medical Research Council Clinical Research Training Fellowship.
Dr Daisy Mollison tells us about her MS PhD
July 2019: Dr Daisy Mollison was one of our first Rowling Scholars and has recently completed her PhD focusing on multiple sclerosis.
Facts and figures on worldwide rate and impact of neurological disorders
July 2019: Recent findings indicate that neurological disorders continue to be the leading cause of disability worldwide.
Radio 4 appearance for Clinic's neurologists
July 2019: Professor Siddharthan Chandran and Professor Anna Williams recently appeared on a BBC Radio 4 series about MS.
Dr David Hunt awarded Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship
Jun 2019: Many congratulations to Dr David Hunt, who has been awarded a prestigious Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellowship to study how abnormal immune activation affects the brain.
Edinburgh Brain Bank News Update
Jun 2019: So far 64 people with MS have consented to donate their brain tissue to our brain bank when they die and 6 donations have been received. Results from research using donations are now beginning to be published.
New MS 'Theory of mind' study launches
Jun 2019: A new study has launched to explore psychological, interpersonal and social functioning in people with MS.
Rowling Scholars' British neurology prize succes
May 2019: Dr Arpan Mehta and Dr Patrick Kearns were competition finalists at the Association of British Neurologists Annual Meeting.
Future MS study fully recruited
May 2019: 440 people with MS from across Scotland have signed up to the study which is developing a tool to predict how a person's MS will progress.
New faces in the Clinic
May 2019: Meet the new staff who have joined our Clinic team over the last few months.
Busy Open Evening at Clinic
Apr 2019: Our recent Open Evening on the 10th April was a great success with around 60 people joining us on the night.
PHQiMS study fully recruited
Apr 2019: 130 people with MS have signed up to test the questionnaire that measures mood.
New MND incidence and prevalence study published.
March 2019: The study used data from the CARE-MND platform to investigate how common MND is in Scotland.
Supporting the Edinburgh University Neuroscience Society Conference
Feb 2019: We’re delighted to be supporting the Edinburgh University Neurological Society (EUNS) Annual Conference which takes place on Saturday 2nd March.
Clinic hosts MS-SMART unblinding event
Feb 2019: On Saturday 9th February, the Clinic hosted an ‘unblinding event’ for people with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (SPMS) who took part in the MS-SMART drugs trial.
Prestigious funding success for three Rowling Fellows
Feb 2019: Congratulations to three Rowling Fellows: David Breen, Liz Elliott and Rickie Patani (left to right in photo), who have all obtained prestigious fellowship funding to enable them to continue and expand their research.
New research: brain cell differences in people with MS
Jan 2019: Our researchers have published findings using brain bank samples showing important differences in brain cells called oligodendrocytes in people with and without MS.
Welcome to our new website!
Dec 2018: We’re excited to launch our new website.
Fantastic Fundraisers
Dec 2018: It has been an award-winning year for fundraising in aid of the Anne Rowling Clinic. Together our fantastic fundraisers have raised over £61,000 in support of our vital research work.
New faces around the Clinic
Dec 2018: We’d like to introduce you to some of the people that have recently joined the Clinic staff team.
MS SMART - First '3 in 1' MS trial completed
Oct 2018: Researchers have completed the MS-SMART clinical trial on multiple sclerosis (MS) in which 3 different drugs were tested at the same time instead of 1 by 1 by 1 - a world first in progressive neurological disease research.
Sarah McGlasson wins Scopus Early Career Researcher Award
Oct 2018: Congratulations to postdoctoral researcher Sarah McGlasson, who has won the Elsevier / US-UK Fulbright Commission 2018 UK Early Career Researcher Award in Medicine.
MS-STAT2 clinical drug trial open for recruitment
Aug 2018: MS-STAT2 is a UK-wide phase 3 clinical drug trial which will test simvastatin, a drug used to lower cholesterol, in people with secondary progressive MS (SPMS).
Summer 2018 e-newsletter
June 2018: The latest edition of our e-newsletter is now available.
Speak:Unique on the road: a Scottish island-hopping adventure!
June 2018: The Speak:Unique team has been on the road, recording voices in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland.
Medical Research Foundation's first Emerging Leaders Prize
Apr 2018: Dr David Hunt, a consultant at the Anne Rowling Clinic, has won first prize in the Medical Research Foundation's Emerging Leaders Prize.
New Parkinson's disease research initiative
Apr 2018: A major Parkinson's disease research programme between Dundee and Edinburgh, which was launched last week, has the support of Dolly the Sheep scientist Prof Sir Ian Wilmut.
Research Open Evening: 12th April 2018
Mar 2018: Meet researchers at our drop-in open evening next month.