Euan MacDonald discussing news with a colleague

News

News

Find out about what's been happening in the trial.

The Poole MND-SMART team. Left to right: Dr Charles Hillier, Consultant Neurologist University Hospitals Dorset & local Principal Investigator for MND-SMART; Maxine Ashton, Senior Clinicals trial Assistant; Judith Dube, Neurology Research Nurse

Poole joins MND-SMART

May 2023: We are delighted that University Hospitals Dorset in Poole is now recruiting participants to MND-SMART.

The four members of the Craigavon site team

Northern Ireland joins MND-SMART

Mar 2023: We are delighted that The Southern Health and Social Care Trust, Craigavon, is now open as a recruiting site for MND-SMART

A picture of Emily Beswick against a background of a countryside lane

PhD success for early-career researcher

Feb 2023: Euan MacDonald Centre PhD student successfully defends her PhD thesis.

Picture of the front page to the BMJ Open article

New publication: How we selected drugs for the MND-SMART clinical trial

Feb 2023: We have published the detailed strategy for selection of the first two drugs in the MND-SMART clinical trial.

Dr Arpan Mehta presenting MND-SMART slides at the CURE-Neurological Diseases symposium in Paris, February 2023

CURE-ND Clinical Workshop

Feb 2023: Dr Arpan Mehta was the winner of the Best Talk Award at this year's CURE-ND symposium.

screenshot of the publication from the scientific journal

Statistical analysis plan published

Jan 2023: Scientific publication describing the MND-SMART statistical analysis plan

Doddie with Euan MacDonald Centre researchers (L-R) Rachel Kline, Alison Thomson and Natalie Courtney at the Centre’s fundraiser ‘Just a Sports Quiz’ in 2017.

Doddie Weir Statement

Nov 2022: A tribute to Doddie Weir OBE

Person reading an article on a tablet device

Autumn 2022 Newsletter

Nov 2022: Our latest newsletter is now available

Picture of Rachel Dakin smiling with her poster behind her at the conference

International Clinical Trials Methodology Conference 2022

Oct 2022: Earlier this month our trial manager Rachel Dakin and Clinical Fellow Charis Wong attended the International Clinical Trials Methodology Conference in Harrogate.

graphic showing trial sites in the UK with an update on numbers in the trial: 400 particpants and 17 trial sites

MND-SMART enrols 400th participant

Oct 2022: Four hundred people living with MND have now joined MND-SMART.

Picture of the laboratory where the drugs for the trial are made

Making drugs for MND-SMART

Aug 22: Update on the manufacturing of drugs for the MND-SMART trial.

screenshot of the publication from the scientific journal

MND-SMART protocol published

Jul 2022: The full MND-SMART trial protocol, containing details of the trial design, has now been published.

Picture of attendees at the ENCALS conference inside McEwan Hall in Edinburgh

European Network to Cure ALS (ENCALS) annual meeting 2022

June 2022: MND-SMART researchers attended the ENCALS 2022 conference.

Emma Galloway, Ipswich pharmacist with pharmacy robot background

The Pharmacy Team in MND-SMART

We caught up with Emma Galloway, clinical pharmacist at Ipswich Hospital and asked her about the role of pharmacy in MND-SMART.

Picture of Dr Ashwin Pinto

Bringing MND Research to Wessex

Dr Ashwin Pinto (Principal Investigator for the Southampton trial centre) shares the background on bringing MND-SMART to the Southampton MND Care Centre.

trial participant in discussion with a research nurse

MND-SMART Trial update

April 2022: Stage 1 analysis of memantine and trazodone.

Map of UK with MND-SMART sites pinned

MND-SMART Trial Update

Feb 2022: Update on trial recruitment and next stages.

Picture of Amy Price and Kirsten McClelland-Brooks

Thank you and farewell

Feb 2022:  We say farewell to two of our research nurses.

Picture of Cardiff MND-SMART team

MND-SMART launches in Cardiff

Jan 2022: A new trial centre has opened to participants in Cardiff, Wales.

Picture of Hayley Williams, Salford research nurse

Innovation Influencer Award 2021

Nov 2021: Hayley Williams, MND-SMART research nurse, wins Innovation Influencer Award

Photograph of Emily Beswick

MND-SMART Sub-study-1

Nov 2021: The sub-study will examine the attitudes and experiences of MND-SMART participants.

Southampton and Aberdeen hospitals

The Island Experience

Nov 2021 A viewpoint from some of our island participants and research staff.

St George's Hospital, London

MND-SMART launches in St George's, London

Oct 2021: A new trial centre has opened to participants in London.

Picture of Tanya Van Der Westhuizen

A day in the life of Tanya Van Der Westhuizen

Oct 2021: We caught up with Tanya Van Der Westhuizen, Research Practitioner in Edinburgh.

Image of the outside of Exeter Hospital Research Building

MND-SMART launches in Exeter

June 2021: A new trial centre has opened to participants in Exeter. This is the trial’s eighth UK centre.

Jill sat at her home office computer

A day in the life of ... Jill Williamson

April 2021: Dr Jill Williamson, Assistant Trial Manager opens her home office door to give us a glimpse into her working day.

A person's hand holding up a piece of paper with a question mark on.

Frequently asked FAQs

April 2021: A summary of the questions we're most currently asked about the trial and our answers. 

Tiffany Stewart sat at her desk

Researcher Interview

March 2021: Tiffany Stewart, works on the MND-SMART trial in Dundee and took some time out of her day to tell us about her experiences of the trial.  

Researcher showing man with MND in wheelchair an ipad screen

MND Voices in MND-SMART

March 2021: We review how people with MND are at the heart of MND-SMART.

Image of Inverness city

MND-SMART launches in Inverness

March 2021: A new trial centre has opened to participants across NHS Highland. This is the trial’s seventh UK centre.

Image of the front doors of University Hospital Southampton framed by a tree

MND-SMART launches in Southampton

February 2021: A new trial centre has opened to participants in Southampton. This is the trial’s sixth UK centre.

Image of Aberdeen Royal Infirmary including NHS Grampian logo

New trial Centre for MND-SMART in Aberdeen

January 2021: Approvals are in place for the MND trial to begin recruiting participants across NHS Grampian.

Image of the outside of Salford Royal hospital

MND-SMART opens in Salford

November 2020: A new trial centre has opened to participants in Salford. This is the trial’s fourth UK centre and the first in England.

Image of building in Glasgow with 'people make Glasgow' sign with an NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde logo over the top

MND-SMART opens in Glasgow

October 2020: A new trial centre for MND-SMART has opened to participants in Glasgow. This is the trial’s third UK centre.

View of the outside of Clinical Research Centre in Tayside

New trial centre for MND-SMART opens in Dundee

August 2020: The MND drugs trial has today opened to participants in Tayside - the trial’s second UK centre.

4 smiling members of clinic staff in scrubs socially distancing in the clinic waiting room

MND-SMART Trial Recruitment Update

July 2020: We are pleased to announce that recruitment to the MND-SMART clinical trial has re-opened in Edinburgh.

image of Alan and his wife Beverley

MND-SMART - the participant's perspective

July 2020: Alan Gray, one of the first people to take part in MND-SMART, tells us about his experience of participating in the trial.

woman typing on a laptop

Paper published on the reliability of videoconferencing for MND appointments

June 2020: Researchers involved in MND-SMART have had a research paper published that shows MND appointments via videoconference are as effective as face-to-face appointments. 

Image of Rachel Dakin and Jill Williamson

Trial management team during lockdown

Jun 2020: Trial Manager, Rachel Dakin, and Trial Management Administrator, Jill Williamson, give us a brief update on what they've been busy with during lockdown. 

Microscopic image of a virus

Trial recruitment paused due to COVID-19

Mar 2020: In response to the rapidly evolving circumstances surrounding Coronavirus (COVID-19) we have, in accordance with guidance from our research sponsors (University of Edinburgh and NHS Lothian), taken the difficult decision to pause recruitment to MND-SMART.

First trial participant Alan Gray with his wife and Clinic staff

First MND-SMART trial centre opens

Mar 2020: MND-SMART, the pioneering new MND clinical trial from the Euan MacDonald Centre has opened its first clinical trial centre in Edinburgh.

Landmark MND trial launches.

Jan 2020: Innovative clinical trial seeks people with MND from across the UK to test potential new treatments.

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