Department of Clinical Neuroscience

Head of Department: Professor Anthony Schapira DSc MD FRCP FMedSci

Hampstead Campus

The Department of Clinical Neuroscience, based at the Royal Free campus in Hampstead is one of the eight research departments of the UCL Institute of Neurology at Queen Square, which is part of the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Life and Medical Sciences at UCL.

The primary area of research in the department is the investigation of the aetiology and pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Specifically the department has an interest in the genetics and biochemistry of Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease and Friedreich’s ataxia.

The department has established an international reputation in this area and in the area of diseases of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and inborn errors of mitochondrial function.

There are also extensive research programmes on the genetics and pathogenesis of dystonia, motor neurone disease and peripheral nerve disorders. A joint appointment with the Hammersmith Hospital has provided an additional research interest in neuropsychology.

Facilities for research are extensive. There are general laboratories for biochemistry, molecular biology, tissue preparation etc, in addition to specialist laboratory space for tissue culture (4 hoods), molecular biology, radioactive work, fluorimetry, spectrophotometry, lipid chemistry and histochemistry. There are advanced facilities for image analysis including an electron microscope.

The Department is also closely associated in its work with the Directorate of Neurosciences at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust

The Directorate of Neurosciences at the Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust The Directorate, which includes the Regional Neurological Unit, provides a comprehensive service in neurology and engages in both undergraduate and postgraduate teaching. Clinical neurophysiology and the neurosurgical centre, for patients from North London, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire are on the same site and combine with neurology to be the Neurosciences Directorate.

As well as general neurology clinics, there are specialist clinics at the Royal Free Hospital for Parkinson's disease, Epilepsy, Motor-neurone Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Cognitive Neurology, Botulinum, Peripheral Neuropathy, Interventional Neuroradiology, Neurosarcoid, Behcet’s, Neuro-ophthalmololgy, Neurogenetics and also a TIA clinic.

Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust is a member of UCL Partners, Europe's largest academic health science partnership.

The UCL Institute of Neurology promotes teaching and research of the highest quality in neurology and the neurosciences. The Institute of Neurology and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery are members of  UCL Partners, Europe's largest academic health science partnership.