The John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair (VGB) hosts laboratory and clinical facilities within the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. The Centre was formed to bring Cambridge scientists working across the many fields of modern neuroscience together in cross-disciplinary research efforts directed at preventing or repairing neurodegeneration in injury and disease. Today its research spans axon degeneration and regeneration, synapse survival and plasticity, cell transplantation and growth factor therapies, with reference to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, spinal injury, glaucoma, ALS and mitochondrial genetic disorders. Laboratory-based research takes place side-by-side with leading Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease research clinics in a highly collaborative environment.
The focal point of the Centre is the van Geest Building on the University Forvie site at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, with around 60 research staff and students. There is close interaction with researchers in other Department facilities through collaborations, equipment sharing, Departmental seminars and the Department Graduate Programme. Within a few minutes’ walk lie the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, AstraZeneca/MedImmmune, the Dementia Research Institute, ARUK Drug Discovery Institute and the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre.
