Simon Parson

Last week the MND Scotland Research Team were at Pittodrie Stadium to host our LEARN. Thanks to Aberdeen FC, our presenting researchers Fergal Waldron, Tatiana Langerová, and Hazel Allardyce, volunteers Claire and Kathleen, and our wonderful guests for making the event a huge success 💙

Thank you all who watched and engaged in our campaign! If you want to keep in touch, you can subscribe to our monthly newsletter here: https://www.sma-europe.eu/ And if you want to support the research projects we fund, you can click here: https://www.sma-europe.eu/donate #WeAreOne #SMAAwareness

@neanatomist.bsky.social

YouTube video by SMA Europe SMA Awareness Month 2025 | Connecting the Dots | Simon & Simona Part 1

🔬 This SMA Awareness Month, we are Connecting the Dots! Listen to Simona, the patient expert, and Simon, the researcher: "Are microvascular defects relevant in Spinal Muscular Atrophy?: Characterisation of the mouse model." youtube.com/shorts/R85PI... #SMAAwareness #ConnectingTheDots

@neanatomist.bsky.social

YouTube video by SMA Europe SMA Awareness Month 2025 | Connecting the Dots | Simon & Simona Part 2

🔬 This SMA Awareness Month, we are Connecting the Dots! Listen to Simona, the patient expert, and Simon, the researcher: "Are microvascular defects relevant in Spinal Muscular Atrophy?: Characterisation of the mouse model." youtu.be/o1R5h3j1lLE #SMAAwareness #ConnectingTheDots

Job alert: Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer in #anatomy @uniofaberdeen.bsky.social We are looking for a research active anatomist to join our vibrant and successful team. tinyurl.com/3k34f6pf #Aberdeen is a great place to live and work. Informal enquiries to me.

Well done Hazel Allardyce on a fantastic talk about her work on blood vessels in #MNDs at the @mndscotland.bsky.social #LEARN event at Pittodrie stadium today. It was great to meet and talk with families affected by MNDs (just a shame I forgot to take a photo!)

Im not remotely a classic music buff, but this one stays with you

Scotland first part of the UK to screen babies for ‘devastating’ rare condition From early 2026 it is expected babies born in Scotland will be routinely tested for Spinal Muscular Atrophy.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

We got here in the end. Great news for newborns in Scotland, and that's said by a Yorkshireman

Really interesting and novel findings from the Gillingwater group, provide insight into the drivers of cellular pathology in #SMA

JOB ALERT: Teaching Assistant in
@Anatomy

@aberdeenuni
to start ASAP tinyurl.com/kh8nwyj5 Come join our innovative, highly-regarded team working in modern purpose-built facilities with excellent cadaveric and digital resources. Informal enquiries to me please.

The CCL2-CCR2 axis drives neuromuscular denervation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Nature Communications - Neuromuscular junctions (NMJs) are denervated in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) through unknown mechanisms. Here, the authors show immune cells infiltrating muscle of...

🚨 New #ALS #MND publication from our lab (co-lead @drchayts.bsky.social), in collaboration with Bernát Nógrádi and colleagues from Hungary and Sonia Alonso-Martin and colleagues from Spain, just published in @natcomms.nature.com -> rdcu.be/eyNIs

Proteomic analyses implicated the CCL2-CCR2 axis as a major driving factor of immune cell infiltration, with CCL2+ cells enriched around NMJs. Excitingly, local treatment with CCL2-neutralising antibodies was sufficient to reduce leukocyte infiltration and ameliorate NMJ denervation.

Very happy to be involved in this initiative

We’re recruiting 2 senior anatomy technicians the Department of Anatomy at @edinburgh-uni.bsky.social One 12-mth maternity cover post (👇) and one permanent position (advert on its way). Please share and get in touch if you would like to know more: elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

..and here's the link to the advert for the permanent, full-time Senior Anatomy Technician post here in Anatomy at
@edinburgh-uni.bsky.social. Please share with anyone you think may be interested! elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/Candid...

Morphology and mechanisms of vascular defects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy at University of Aberdeen on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Morphology and mechanisms of vascular defects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy at University of Aberdeen , listed on FindAPhD.com

📢Fully funded PhD opportunity 📢

An excellent opportunity for a fully funded PhD studying morphological defects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy, working in a well-respected laboratory of Professor Simon Parson at the University of Aberdeen. #SMA #PhD #research
More details➡️ tinyurl.com/FundedPhDAbe...

Morphology and mechanisms of vascular defects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy at University of Aberdeen on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - Morphology and mechanisms of vascular defects in Spinal Muscular Atrophy at University of Aberdeen , listed on FindAPhD.com

PhD: full @anat_soc funding, studying vascular defects in @SMA in @ParsonLab @AbdnLifeScience training in detailed morphological analysis of mouse models and patient tissue to understand important non-neuronal pathology in a #MND tinyurl.com/2vds32nj deadline 11th June

Sorry not be joining you

Spinal muscular atrophy in the UK: the human toll of slow decisions

The human cost of the UK not having a screening programme for #SMA , is poorer outcomes for affected children. Servais and colleagues detail the evidence here. We can and should do better. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Peer Support and Engagement Lead - MND Scotland We are looking for an inspirational lead with the skill, energy and passion to deliver and expand a range of services that support people with MND and their families and friends.

We are looking for an inspirational Peer Support and Engagement Lead with the skill, energy and passion to deliver and expand a range of services that support people with MND and their families and friends 💙 To find out more or to apply, visit: bit.ly/3EAwZbj

This month, we see the release of Special issue on Anatomical Variations in Hearing and Sound Production in Amniotes. Our cover is from Racicot et al., ‘Variation in whale (Cetacea) inner ear anatomy reveals the early evolution of ‘specialized’ high frequency hearing sensitivity’

Risdiplam for Prenatal Therapy of Spinal Muscular Atrophy | NEJM The alternate splicing small molecule risdiplam, administered to a fetus with spinal muscular atrophy, had an apparent ameliorating effect on the disorder through 30 months.

The alternate splicing small molecule risdiplam, administered to a fetus with spinal muscular atrophy, had an apparent ameliorating effect on the disorder through 30 months. Learn more: nej.md/3XbEg7J

#MedSky #Neurology #PedSky

One of these posts occurs as I am stepping down after 2 terms. A great charity to work with, so please consider applying

What a $2 Million Per Dose Gene Therapy Reveals About Drug Pricing Taxpayers and charities helped develop Zolgensma. Then it debuted at a record price, ushering in a new class of wildly expensive drugs. Its story upends the widely held conception that high prices ref...

The gene therapy Zolgensma helped children born with spinal muscular atrophy grow up to run and play. But the cost was stunning: $2M per dose.

While taxpayers and small charities funded the drug’s early development, executives, venture-capital backers and a pharma giant have reaped the profits.

Thought I’d have a look over here and see what happening