The CO Research Trust (CORT) has awarded a new research grant to Dr Mark Dallas, Associate Professor in Neuroscience at the University of Reading, to support a PhD project investigating how air pollution — including carbon monoxide (CO) — affects inflammation in the brain.
This new PhD project will address this gap by using advanced in vitro cellular models to study how environmental toxins trigger inflammatory responses in the brain. This new research will focus on microglia, the brain’s own immune cells, which play a vital role in protecting the brain and controlling inflammation. The PhD student will study how these cells respond when exposed to different environmental pollutants, including CO, and how their normal protective role may change as a result.
Recent evidence suggests that immune cells outside of the brain, macrophages, can infiltrate the brain in neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and may either exacerbate or help compensate for impaired microglial function. By studying brain resident immune cells and the cells that invade the brain, the project aims to improve understanding of their respective roles in pollution-induced brain inflammation.
The project will use laboratory-based cell models rather than animal testing, helping scientists understand the effects of pollution on the brain in a more ethical and targeted way. It will also explore new automated methods for assessing toxicity, which could improve how environmental health risks are studied in the future.
Gerarda Kendrick, Grants Lead CORT commented:
“By funding this PhD, the CO Research Trust continues its commitment to supporting high-quality research that improves understanding of the health impacts of carbon monoxide exposure and contributes to better public health outcomes.”
Dr Mark Dallas, from the University of Reading, added: "With air pollution becoming an escalating public health challenge, this funding supports our efforts to understand how polluted air affects the brain. By studying how the brain’s immune cells respond to pollutants like carbon monoxide, we aim to identify risks to brain health and inform practical strategies to better protect people where air quality is poorest.”
Anju Berardi, the CORT funded PhD student, said: “My PhD project provides me with an exciting training opportunity to develop advanced cellular models and harness cutting-edge technology to better shape our understanding of brain specific changes following exposure to harmful pollutants.”
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About the CO Research Trust
The CO Research Trust is a registered charity which was established in 2005. The vision of the charity is a world where people are not exposed to carbon monoxide (CO).
For further information contact Kimberly Allen kimberly@coresearchtrust.org