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Dr Huang involves in the following Administration duties:
• Invitation of seminar speakers and organisation of seminars • Provide scientific and career advice to BSc Honours, Master and PhD students • Provide pastoral care to more than 10 personal tutees at UoA • Act as academic advisors/examiners for PhD students of other academic staff • Act as a mentor to post-doctoral staff in university’s mentoring scheme • Manage the social media accounts for the Aberdeen Spinal Injury Research Team (ASIRT) • Organise and participate in various fundraising activities on behalf of the ASIRT
The World Health Organization states that every year between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world suffer a spinal cord injury. In the UK, about 50,000 people live with spinal cord injury, with about 1,000 new cases each year. Spinal cord injury can cause permanent loss of nerve function below the level of injury. There is no cure. The estimated annual cost to the NHS is around £1 billion. Current treatments focus on limiting the extent of damage and helping patients manage the injury and subsequent dramatic lifestyle changes. The lack of therapies for spinal cord injury creates a substantial, unmet, clinical need for millions of patients. Our group aims to develop novel approaches to improve function recovery after spinal cord injury, and we are pursuing the following two research areas:
A Combinatorial Approach For Spinal Cord Repair Based on our previous experience using novel biomaterials for peripheral nerve repair, my group is focusing on the development of a biomaterial-based combinatorial approach to promote axon regeneration and function recovery after spinal cord injury using relevant in vitro, ex vivo and animal models. In collaboration with colleagues here at Aberdeen and elsewhere, we are developing novel combinatorial strategies including the use of suitable novel biomaterials, novel growth-promoting biomolecules, and electric stimulation for spinal cord repair.
Central Neuropathic Pain After Spinal Cord Injury My group has a strong interest in the role of neuroinflammation in the development and maintenance of central neuropathic pain following spinal cord injury. We aim to develop novel strategies to target this neuroinflammation in order to prevent and/or treat this common complication that significantly impacts on the quality of life of millions spinal injured patients. We are world leaders in using ethologically relevant and pain-related complex rodent behaviours and outcome measures to facilitate the development of novel analgesics for central neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury.
Collaborations
In Aberdeen:
Dr Huang is part of the Aberdeen Spinal Injury Research Team and actively collaborates with other Team members to develop novel strategies for spinal cord repair.
Collaboration with Profs Peter Mccaffery, Roger Pertwee, Iain Gibson, and Helen Galley on various projects.
Outside Aberdeen: Dr Huang actively collaborate with national and international leading experts.
Industrial collaboration:
Oxford Biomaterials Ltd., Oxford, England
Biogelx Ltd., Scotland
Research Funding and Grants
Current Research Income:
Research Grants (total £563K since 2017):
• Scottish Rugby Union/private donation, 2019-22 • Aberdeen University Development Trust, 2016-22 • BJA/RCoA PhD studentship, 2020-2023 • Medical Research Scotland(MRS)/Biogelx Ltd. PhD studentship, 2019-2023 • Two Elphinstone PhD Scholarships, 2020-2023 • International PhD studentship, 2016-20
Our research is kindly supported by:
Previous Grants:
• Institute of Medical Sciences PhD Studentship, 2014-19 • International Spinal Research Trust PhD Studentship, 2015-19 • Aberdeen University Development Trust PhD Studentship, 2014-18 • Aberdeen University Development Trust, 2016-19 • Tenovus Scotland, 2016-17 • RS McDonald Trust, 2014-17 • Scottish Rugby Union, Research Grant, 2013-16 • Development Trust, Equipment Grant, 2013-16 • Medical Research Scotland Vacation Scholarship, 06-08/2015 • Medical Research Scotland Vacation Scholarship, 06-08/2016 • Wellcome Trust Vacation Scholarship, 06-08/2016 • Aberdeen University Start-up, 2013-2016 • National Institute of Academic Anaesthesia, 2013-14 • Chelsea & Westminster NHS Trust; 2010-11 • Neurotex Ltd., 2008-9 • Wellcome Trust, International Travelling Research Fellowship, 2001-2
Level 2 • SM2001: Foundation Skills for Medical Sciences • SM2501: Research Skills for Medical Sciences
Level 3 • SM3002: Frontiers of Medical Sciences: course coordinator • SR3508: Clinical Exercise Physiology • BM3804: Neuroscience Research Topics • DB3804: Development of Organ Systems
The therapeutic potential of targeting exchange protein directly activated by cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (Epac) for central nervous system trauma
Guijarro Belmar, A., Domanski, D. M., Bo, X., Shewan, D., Huang, W.
Neural Regeneration Research, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 460-469
Epac2 Elevation Reverses Inhibition by Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans In Vitro and Transforms Postlesion Inhibitory Environment to Promote Axonal Outgrowth in an Ex Vivo Model of Spinal Cord Injury
Guijarro Belmar, A., Viskontas, M., Wei, Y., Bo, X., Shewan, D., Huang, W.
Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 39, no. 42, pp. 8330-8346
Cross-centre replication of suppressed burrowing behaviour as an ethologically relevant pain outcome measure in the rat: a prospective multicentre study
Wodarski, R., Delaney, A., Ultenius, C., Morland, R., Andrews, N., Baastrup, C., Bryden, L. A., Caspani, O., Christoph, T., Gardiner, N. J., Huang, W., Kennedy, J. D., Koyama, S., Li, D., Ligocki, M., Lindsten, A., Machin, I., Pekcec, A., Robens, A., Rotariu, S. M., Voß, S., Segerdahl, M., Stenfors, C., Svensson, C. I., Treede, R., Uto, K., Yamamoto, K., Rutten, K., Rice, A. S. C.