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assignment_turned_in Project2011 - 2016Partners:University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeFunder: UKRI Project Code: G1002231Funder Contribution: 2,361,690 GBPDrug addiction is a major form of psychiatric disorder that also places an enormous burden on society through its repercussions on crime and health care provision. There is a major need to develop new treatments for drug addiction and to identify who may be at risk of addiction following exposure to drugs (as was highlighted in the Academy of Medical Sciences 2008 report ?Brain Science, addiction and drugs?). Addressing these questions requires an improved psychological and brain-based explanation of the processes by which casual or controlled drug use can progress to a compulsive drug seeking habit, such that drug addiction is manifested clinically as a chronic-relapsing disorder with devastating consequences for individuals, their families and the societies in which they live. In the proposed research, we aim to model and investigate in rats the neural basis of the transition from voluntary drug seeking through loss of control over this behaviour so that it becomes ultimately compulsive and persistent. We will continue our studies with cocaine, which along with other stimulant drugs such as methamphetamine presents a serious problem in the UK. But we will also introduce a new aspect to our research by studying compulsive alcohol seeking and drinking. Alcoholism and binge drinking are a major and growing problem, bringing with them extreme personal and societal costs ? alcohol misuse alone is estimated to cost the UK #25.1 billion every year (http://www.nao.org.uk/publications/0708/reducing_alcohol_harm.aspx). Abstinence in addictive drug-dependent individuals is especially difficult to maintain and relapse, often triggered by drug-associated stimuli in the environment, is a characteristic of drug addiction. We now know that retrieval of positive memories of earlier drug taking by exposure to drug-associated stimuli and environments makes these memories vulnerable to disruption, since they undergo a process of ?reconsolidation? during which the memories are updated by re-engaging plastic brain processes. Therefore, we will continue to study the molecular and neurochemical basis of cocaine and alcohol memories and then investigate whether it is possible to diminish or block their pervasive impact on relapse to drug taking and addiction. A longer-term goal, therefore, is the development of novel medications for the treatment of drug addiction that will promote abstinence and prevent relapse in individuals trying to relinquish their compulsive drug seeking and taking habits.
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For further information contact us at helpdesk@openaire.euvisibility 158visibility views 158 download downloads 82 Powered bymore_vert All Research productsarrow_drop_down <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- document.write('<div id="oa_widget"></div>'); document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.openaire.eu/index.php?option=com_openaire&view=widget&format=raw&projectId=ukri________::f76c4cd1284b7b567bd630ed7334b5a2&type=result"></script>'); --> </script>
For further information contact us at helpdesk@openaire.euassignment_turned_in Project2016 - 2024Partners:University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeFunder: UKRI Project Code: MC_UU_00002/7Funder Contribution: 362,429 GBPAn observational correlation between a suspected risk factor and a disease outcome does not necessarily imply that interventions on levels of the risk factor will necessarily have a causal impact on disease risk. This is often cited as “correlation is not causation”. One way to assess whether a risk factor is causal or not is to look at genetics, as many genetic variants are not associated with the socio-economic or environmental factors that make observational assessments of causality unreliable. If genetic variants associated with the risk factor are also associated with the outcome, this increases the plausibility that the risk factor is a causal determinant of disease risk. However, if the genetic variants in the analysis do not have a specific biological link to the risk factor, then causal claims can be spurious. This programme aims to develop innovative methods for assessing causal relationships that have some robustness to violations of the specificity assumptions, as well as methods that can analyse the ever increasing and evolving genetic data that is generated in epidemiological research. We also create tools to implement these methods, and apply the methods to real-life epidemiological problems in collaborations with leading applied researchers.
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For further information contact us at helpdesk@openaire.euvisibility 398visibility views 398 download downloads 854 Powered bymore_vert All Research productsarrow_drop_down <script type="text/javascript"> <!-- document.write('<div id="oa_widget"></div>'); document.write('<script type="text/javascript" src="https://www.openaire.eu/index.php?option=com_openaire&view=widget&format=raw&projectId=ukri________::48155fe930faf81c776be8de5e24ef3b&type=result"></script>'); --> </script>
For further information contact us at helpdesk@openaire.euassignment_turned_in Project2017 - 2021Partners:University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeFunder: UKRI Project Code: 1944586This project builds on existing research using abrasive blasting to clean and prepare metal substrates for painting to prevent inhibit corrosion. We will exploit a novel idea to use abrasive blasting as a way of depositing a protective layer on the metal surface. The aim is to combine 'hard' and 'soft' materials to clean and also seal the metal surfaces. The composition of the abrasive blasting materials (how much hard and soft), the blasting pressure and blasting time will all be considered to prepare particular protecting layers which will then be tested using electrochemical studies.
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For further information contact us at helpdesk@openaire.euassignment_turned_in Project2006 - 2011Partners:University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeFunder: UKRI Project Code: G0600196Funder Contribution: 1,847,880 GBPDrug addiction is a major form of neuropsychiatric disorder that also places an enormous burden on society through its repercussions on crime-rate and health-care. As highlighted in the 2005 Technology Foresight project, ?Brain Science, Addiction and Drugs? (http://www.foresight.gov.uk/Brain_Science_Addiction_and_Drugs/index.html), there is a major need to develop new treatments for drug addiction. This requires a much better psychological and neural explanation, of the processes by which casual, or intermittent, drug use can progress to a compulsive drug seeking habit such that drug addiction is manifested clinically as a chronic-relapsing disorder with devastating consequences for individuals, their families and the societies in which they live. In the proposed research, we aim to model the transition from voluntary drug seeking through loss of control over this behaviour so that it becomes ultimately compulsive and persistent. We will investigate the neural basis of this transition, especially testing the hypothesis that it involves a loss of control by the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain involved in ?executive function? that include inhibitory processes that would, for example, normally prevent the establishment of maladaptive habits, such as compulsive drug taking. Abstinence in human addicts is especially difficult to maintain and relapse, often triggered by drug-associated stimuli in the environment, is a characteristic of drug addiction. We now know that activation of drug memories by exposure to drug-associated stimuli and environments makes them vulnerable to disruption, since they undergo a process of ?reconsolidation? during which the memories are updated and re-engage neural mechanisms of plasticity. Thus we will study the molecular and neurochemical basis of drug memories and then investigate whether it is possible to diminish or block the pervasive impact of these memories on drug addiction and relapse. A longer term goal, therefore, is the development of novel neuropharmacological approaches to the treatment of drug addiction that will promote abstinence and prevent relapse in individuals trying to relinquish their compulsive, drug seeking habits.
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For further information contact us at helpdesk@openaire.euassignment_turned_in Project2021 - 2025Partners:University of CambridgeUniversity of CambridgeFunder: UKRI Project Code: 2572248The Sensor CDT provides student-centred training to educate future leaders in sensor innovation through the provision of a structured programme of taught courses and research in enabling technologies (e.g. optical imaging technology, sensor hardware, MEMS, open source technology, physical principles of sensing, sensor interfacing and middleware, data processing) during the first year of the programme. Students undertake research mini-projects offered by the over 50 academics connected Sensor CDT. Mini-projects last 12 weeks, have to be interdisciplinary in character and bridge across at least two departments. Crucially the student cohort collectively tackle a sensor design project as a team challenge, similar in nature to, but more extensive than, current student design projects on the Engineering and Chemical Engineering undergraduate syllabi. The purpose is to design and develop, from concept to application, a fully working sensor system. In the final phase of the first year, students develop, in collaboration with their chosen supervisors, an individual PhD research project which they will pursue during years 2-4 of the programme. Importantly, the projects are cross disciplinary, involve at least two supervisors from two different Cambridge departments and/or industry. More than 70 academics and 20 industrial as well as institutional partners participate in the programme, offering the students maximal choice.
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