New £50m centre set to unlock secrets of early brain development, supported by Manchester researchers

A new landmark centre, bringing together world-leading expertise with cutting-edge research, aims to discover exactly how the human brain develops for the very first time. 

The new Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Human Neural Development will combine expertise from across the UK to address major gaps in our understanding of brain growth and development. 

Led by King’s College London, in partnership with University College London (UCL) and The University of Manchester (UoM), the key aim is to understand the critical mechanisms underpinning early brain development, from the womb to early childhood, and how their disruption can inform effective treatments. 

Manchester will lead the Centre’s clinical translation programme, ensuring scientific discoveries in early brain development are translated into effective treatments to improve outcomes for children and families.  

Professor Shruti Garg, Centre Translational Lead and Deputy Director, based at UoM, will work in collaboration with Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) and Saint Mary’s Hospital, both part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), to lead this research.

Professor Garg who is also an Honorary Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at RMCH, said: “Manchester’s research will focus on understanding how changes in brain development affect children with genetic conditions, helping to identify those most likely to experience neurodevelopmental difficulties earlier, and accelerating the development of new interventions and treatments.  

“By bringing together expertise from across the Centre, our ambition is to identify infants most likely to develop a neurodisability earlier than ever before, to understand when intervention will be most effective, and develop treatments that can improve outcomes for children and families with rare genetic conditions across the country.”  

The Manchester team will build on existing research and expertise in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), other rare genetic conditions and childhood epilepsies, providing opportunities to understand how differences in brain development emerge and how earlier intervention can improve long-term outcomes.  

Professor Garg who is also part of the Mental Health Theme at the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC): Manchester, continued: “This is building on our existing work in genetic conditions and early brain development across both the BRC’s Mental Health and Rare Conditions Themes. My research on NF1 focuses on using brain imaging to better understand the learning and cognitive difficulties associated with the condition.  

“Through research linked to clinical care, this Centre will provide a platform for early translational research linking genetics, neuroimaging, and developmental neuroscience to help improve outcomes and quality of life for children and young people.” 

Work on genetic neurodevelopmental conditions in Manchester will be supported by Professor Siddharth Banka, who is a Co-Lead Investigator within MRC CoRE for Human Neural Development. Sid is Professor of Genomic Medicine and Rare Diseases at UoM and Consultant Clinical Geneticist at Saint Mary’s Hospital. 

Professor Siddharth Banka, who is also Clinical Director of Manchester Rare Conditions Centre and Rare Conditions Theme Co-Lead at the NIHR BRC: Manchester, said: “The human brain is the most complex organ in the human body, and largely the instructions to build and shape it are encoded in our DNA. Every genetic change that results in a neurodevelopmental condition provides a unique window into the processes that shape the developing brain. Studying these genetic conditions can therefore reveal fundamental processes of human brain development. 

“This is particularly exciting for me as a clinician scientist because bringing together genetics, brain imaging, developmental neuroscience and new laboratory models gives us an unprecedented opportunity to improve diagnosis and develop more effective treatments for children and families. Neurodevelopmental conditions affect millions of people worldwide, yet we still understand remarkably little about the biological processes that cause them. It is hugely encouraging to see this investment recognising the importance of research in this area and its potential to make a real difference to people’s lives.” 

Backed by up to £50m of MRC funding over 14 years, the Centre will use the latest technological developments, including the ability to image the developing brain before and after birth, grow miniature models of brain tissue in the laboratory, and harness the power of artificial intelligence, to provide insights into the development of the human cerebral cortex, the region of our brain that enables language, planning and creativity. 

Using these insights from the laboratory, the centre aims to develop markers of healthy brain development, which can be measured in babies and children to help develop and evaluate treatments in clinic. 

Centre Lead, Professor Oscar Marín, based at King’s College London, said: “The human brain is a bit of a black box. 

“We can measure patterns of brain activity from the outside, and we can even potentially connect them to what happens later in life, but we don’t yet know how these signals actually relate to what’s happening inside the child’s brain. 

“This means we cannot tell which signals reflect something important about how the circuits inside the brain are developing. Until we can make that distinction, we cannot reliably predict which children are at risk or intervene early enough to make a difference.

“We have now reached a point where the technologies exist to close that gap, and we can turn that understanding into real differences for children and families.” 

Using insights from the laboratory, the centre aims to develop markers of healthy brain development, which can be measured in babies and children to help develop and evaluate treatments in clinic.  

Dr Ceri Williams, Executive Director of Challenge Led Themes at MRC, said: “We are delighted to announce this new MRC CoRE for Human Neural Development, backed by £50 million of public investment. 

“By untangling the mysteries of human brain development in the very early stages, this centre offers a powerful opportunity to transform lives, giving us the tools to make earlier and fairer interventions for a future where every child has the best possible chance to realise their full potential.”