The Neurochemistry Research Group is based at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, and brings together clinicians, scientists, and students to transform the care of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).

We are a diverse team of group leads, postdoctoral researchers, research assistants, and students at PhD, MPhil, and summer project level. Together, we create opportunities for training the next generation of researchers while tackling urgent clinical challenges.

Our work focuses on understanding the complex biochemical changes that follow a brain injury and translating this knowledge into better care for critically ill patients. Using microdialysis, advanced sensors, metabolomics, cell culture models, imaging, and clinical trials, we study how brain chemistry evolves after trauma.

A cornerstone of our research is the Neurosciences Critical Care Unit (NCCU) at Addenbrooke’s—21 state-of-the-art beds where patients receive world-leading care and where most of our research is conducted. We also run the UK’s only dedicated NCCU follow-up clinic, allowing us to collect long-term outcome data that strengthens the impact of our studies.

Collaboration is central to what we do. We work closely with NHS partners and academic colleagues in Anaesthesia, the Kotter Lab, Chemistry NMR, and the Wolfson Brain Imaging Centre to produce high-quality, translational research.

TBI remains a major public health challenge, especially in children and young adults, where it is the leading cause of death under 40 in the developed world. Survivors face lifelong disabilities. By monitoring and managing the brain’s dynamic response to injury, our research shows that outcomes can be significantly improved.

More details on our specific research topics can be found here.