BioAscent’s Director of Biosciences, Dr Stuart McElroy recently delivered a presentation to delegates at the 2022 Brain Health and Dementia Life Sciences Summit hosted at the University of St Andrews. 

The two-day summit welcomed highly skilled global researchers with expertise in neurodegenerative diseases and aimed to form partnerships between researchers and sponsors in the public and private sectors. Stuart’s presentation gave an insight into the success of BioAscent and the importance of collaborative and funded initiatives in translating academic discoveries, including SULSA and the European Lead Factory. 

The conference also focused on addressing the challenges that currently prevent the development of a cure for Alzheimer’s disease. Thes challenges include diagnostic challenges, the requirement to develop drugs that can cross the blood-brain barrier, uncontrollable drug toxicity, and a lack of clinical efficacy. 

Our recent investment in a Sartorius Incucyte live-cell analysis system has enabled us to increase the flexibility of our cell assay services and to carry out bespoke neurogenesis type assays in the context of neurodegenerative diseases, an area of expertise at BioAscent.

Commenting on the conference, Stuart says, “It was real privilege to be invited to take part in an event that showcased the strength and depth of expertise in neuroscience and drug discovery in Scotland, which puts us in a position to lead the world in tackling neurodegenerative diseases.”

Additionally, Dr Nick Moore, BioAscent’s Director of Business Development (North America) adds, “Alzheimer's disease is a particularly challenging area for drug discovery research. An adaptable, collaborative approach generating robust quality data is needed to make meaningful advances."

To learn more about BioAscent’s assay design capabilities, click here.