Monday, 27 January 2025
Research into how quantum technologies can be used to track brain function has received a funding boost.
Scientists from the University of Nottingham’s School of Physics and Astronomy, in collaboration with Cardiff University and the University of Toronto, have received just under £1 million of funding under the UK-Canada Quantum for Science Research Collaboration. The funding will help develop technology that can be used in areas such as neurodevelopmental disorders and drug development.
The allocation of £4 million from the United Kingdom and $4.2 million from Canada (totalling £6.5 million GBP) in grant funding will support ten innovative and collaborative projects between university researchers in the UK and Canada to advance research in quantum communications and quantum sensing and detection.
Quantum sensors promise game-changing advancements in assessment of human brain health, by lifting restrictions surrounding current instrumentation. Simulations suggest they could even rival invasive measures of brain function in terms of sensitivity. Nottingham physicists will work with neuroimaging experts in Cardiff, led by Professor Krish Singh, to investigate how to best exploit quantum sensors to measure the delicate balance of excitation and inhibition (termed E-I balance) in neural networks. This balance is critical to healthy brain function and often the target of treatments in neurological or psychiatric disease.
The imaging techniques developed in the UK will be exploited by researchers in Canada. Professor Margot Taylor – a world leader in the field of neurodevelopment – will use the novel tools to investigate how E-I balance changes with children’s development. Meanwhile Dr Ben Dunkley will lead a team of researchers using the new technology to assess how the brain is affected by drugs –a stepping stone to use in the pharmaceutical industry.
This funding will develop quantum enabled brain imaging to a point where we are able to capture fundamental biophysical parameters – like the balance of excitation and inhibition in cortical microcircuits. These parameters are absolutely key to understanding how the healthy brain develops, how neurological or psychiatric diseases manifest, and how we can develop new types of treatment for brain disorders.
This study will test the capability of novel quantum technologies to non-invasively measure the mechanism of action of drugs that work on the central nervous system, where a future goal of ours is to apply the system in clinical trials of new pharmacotherapies. Such a device has significant implications for defining clinical and exploratory end points in drug trials, with the potential of predicting treatment response, supporting the optimisation of drug dosing parameters, and significantly de-risking expensive clinical trials.
This grant funding opportunity was run jointly by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) through the International Science Partnerships Fund, and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), as part of the UKRI-NSERC Collaborative Agreement. Each project has been selected for its potential to support key elements and specific missions of Canada’s National Quantum Strategy and the UK National Quantum Strategy.
The ten successful projects were selected through a rigorous peer-review process, ensuring that only the most promising and impactful research proposals received funding. The grant recipients will have the opportunity to work closely with their international counterparts, sharing knowledge and resources to achieve their collective research goals.
Professor Dame Ottoline Leyser, Chief Executive of UKRI, commented: “This partnership is exemplary of the ways in which UK-Canada collaboration continues to support pioneering research and innovation. By combining and sharing our resources and expertise, this funding will enable researchers to use quantum technology to develop innovative solutions that have huge potential across societies and economies globally.”
Professor Alejandro Adem, NSERC President, remarked, “NSERC is proud to support the UK-Canada Quantum for Science Research Collaboration, advancing cutting-edge research in quantum technologies. This initiative highlights the importance of international partnerships in driving scientific innovation and supporting Canada’s National Quantum Strategy.”
Story credits
More information is available from Professor Matthew Brookes on matthew.brookes@nottingham.ac.uk
Notes to editors:
About the University of Nottingham
Ranked 24 in Europe and 15th in the UK by the QS World University Rankings: Europe 2024, the University of Nottingham is a founding member of Russell Group of research-intensive universities. Studying at the University of Nottingham is a life-changing experience, and we pride ourselves on unlocking the potential of our students. We have a pioneering spirit, expressed in the vision of our founder Sir Jesse Boot, which has seen us lead the way in establishing campuses in China and Malaysia - part of a globally connected network of education, research and industrial engagement.
Nottingham was crowned Sports University of the Year by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024 – the third time it has been given the honour since 2018 – and by the Daily Mail University Guide 2024.
The university is among the best universities in the UK for the strength of our research, positioned seventh for research power in the UK according to REF 2021. The birthplace of discoveries such as MRI and ibuprofen, our innovations transform lives and tackle global problems such as sustainable food supplies, ending modern slavery, developing greener transport, and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
The university is a major employer and industry partner - locally and globally - and our graduates are the third most targeted by the UK's top employers, according to The Graduate Market in 2024 report by High Fliers Research.
We lead the Universities for Nottingham initiative, in partnership with Nottingham Trent University, a pioneering collaboration between the city’s two world-class institutions to improve levels of prosperity, opportunity, sustainability, health and wellbeing for residents in the city and region we are proud to call home.
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