Feature

From molecules to medicine: turning ideas into impact

The most significant scientific breakthroughs rarely arrive fully formed - they begin with someone asking, ‘What if?’

Published on 23 April 2026

The future of neuroscience doesn’t just live in laboratories or lecture halls: it lives in the curiosity of enquiring minds and the courage to ask the right questions. With a new transformative pledge of £150,000, the University of Dundee and the University of St Andrews are helping to turn that curiosity into discovery.  

Thanks to the support of the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, this new fund is dedicated to empowering early-career researchers (ECRs) poised to redefine our understanding of the human brain and the complex neurodegenerative conditions that affect it. 

The potential for progress

The Trust’s commitment is more than a donation – it is a catalyst. By focusing on ECRs at the start of their careers, this fund addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern science: the ‘innovation gap’, where bold, high-potential ideas often struggle to secure traditional “seedcorn” funding, which often favours more established, lower-risk research. 

By supporting these researchers at a pivotal moment, the Trust is enabling vital proof-of-concept work, helping to generate the early data needed to validate new ideas and unlock further investment. This is not simply funding individual projects but strengthening the entire pipeline of scientific discovery with fresh thinking and innovative approaches.

“This is another great example of Dundee and St Andrews working together to help the next generation of scientists”

Professor Frank Gunn-Moore, University of St Andrews, School of Biology

The power of collaboration 

We believe that the most complex scientific challenges cannot be solved in isolation. At the heart of this initiative is a formidable partnership between the Universities of Dundee and St Andrews, creating a regional powerhouse in neuroscience.  

Together, Dundee’s world-renowned expertise in clinical research and drug discovery complements St Andrews’ pioneering strengths in foundational neuroscience and psychology, enabling truly collaborative interdisciplinary research with global impact. 

“By uniting the unique strengths of Dundee and St Andrews, we are creating a fertile ground for discovery, giving early career researchers the freedom to pursue discoveries that will define the next decade of neurological care.”

Professor Mike Ashford, University of Dundee, Faculty of Health, Selection Panel Chair

Projects supported  

We are proud to share that the first round of funding has been awarded to four ambitious, cross-institutional projects. For the project leads, this funding represents a defining career milestone. It provides the independence to pursue bold ideas, the platform to build their research programmes, and the credibility to leverage further major investment from national and international funding bodies.

Crucially, it also offers something less tangible but equally important: the opportunity to pursue discoveries that could transform lives.  

Dr Daniela Balslev

This project tackles ‘spatial neglect’, which is a common post-stroke condition where patients become unaware of the left side of their body. By combining advanced physics and neuroscience, the team is using precision MRI mapping to identify exact brain targets for magnetic stimulation therapy, aiming to help stroke survivors regain their independence and improve their quality of life.

Dr Tom Gilbertson

Apathy affects one in four people with Parkinson’s, severely impacting quality of life and limiting the benefits of traditional treatments. This interdisciplinary team is developing a pioneering, non-invasive ultrasound system to safely stimulate deep brain targets, aiming to restore motivation and improve patient outcomes.

Jordan Marsh

Dementia begins decades before symptoms appear, with growing evidence that metabolic issues such as insulin resistance play a key role. By analysing unique data from middle-aged volunteers, this project will map the ‘molecular fingerprints’ of metabolic dysfunction in brain fluid to identify the earliest targets for prevention, long before memory loss begins.

Manuela Rizzi

In Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the vital connections between neurons break down long before symptoms appear. This project investigates the role of a key protein, SNAP25, which acts as a ‘messenger’ for nerve signals. By studying this protein across different species, the team aims to uncover how these signals fail and identify new targets for treatments.

Driving the next big breakthrough 

While each of the four projects varies in specific biological focus and methodology, they are united by a shared ambition: to accelerate progress in understanding and treating neurological disease.  

Through this strategic investment, the Universities of Dundee and St Andrews, together with the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, are ensuring that the answers to tomorrow’s neurological challenges are being developed in our laboratories and clinics today.  

“The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust is proud to have offered this funding to a partnership of two Scottish universities who each have a strong reputation in the field of neurological research.  By distributing our grant to a number of Early Career Researchers, we hope the value of this award will be important for both scientific output and the scientists undertaking each project.”

Rachel Campbell, Director, The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust

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Story category The Bridge Magazine