The National Brain Appeal has raised substantial funds for crucial projects at the National Hospital, helping it to retain its position as the leading centre for neurology and neurosurgery.
The Rockefeller Medical Library at The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) was established in 1935 and is one of the leading neurological research resources in the world. Seventy-five years after it first opened, the library was in need of major refurbishment.
A new updated and revitalised multifunctional space and new study facilities in the Library has been created to digitise and provide electronic access to parts of the archive, provide a home for the archives and artefacts that are currently hidden and unexplored, and secure the future of these unique collections on site at Queen Square.
This new Library will support the clinical, research and educational needs of the UCL Institute of Neurology, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and also the wider UCL, UCLH and research communities.
The National Brain Appeal raised £1.5 million to create Europe’s first world class comprehensive Centre for Neuromuscular Diseases, common examples of which include Spinal Muscular Atrophy, motor neurone diseases, myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophy. The Centre which opened in 2009 brings together a large team of experts in a single unit. It includes research facilities and specialised IT systems to support the development of new treatments which will ultimately benefit patients.
The BrainSUITE appeal was launched in 2007 and combines our existing Interventional MRI scanner with state-of-the-art navigational and surgical equipment. The result is an immensely powerful clinical tool which is used for a wide range of conditions and procedures, from pituitary tumour surgery to epilepsy surgery.
The new building at 33 Queen Square brings together three vital elements: research, teaching and clinical practice. Outpatient activities previously separate from the main hospital have moved to the new building.
In addition to intensive emergency care, this service looks after patients who have undergone major brain or spinal cord surgery. The Unit makes it possible for the hospital to carry out pioneering surgery as patients can get the specialist care they need afterwards.
The Scanner Suite is a state of the art imaging facility that enables non-invasive diagnosis. The Suite includes an Interventional MRI scanner, a crucial tool which allows real time image-guided surgery resulting in quicker, safer brain operations.
The Dementia Research Centre is the first of its kind in Europe. The Dementia Research Group at The National identified the first Alzheimer’s gene and have pioneered MRI imaging techniques which track the progression of Alzheimer’s disease.