Sackler Institute of Psychobiological Research
Background
The Sackler Institute of Psychobiological Research (SIPBR) was established in 2004 through funding from the Dr. Mortimer and Theresa Sackler foundation. The SIPBR is based at the Southern General Hospital, in the south of the city of Glasgow, and is adjacent to other clinical neuroscience research facilities.
The expertise of staff associated with SIPBR is in neuro-imaging, neurophysiology, neuropsychology and behavioural assessment. These methodologies are applied to a range of clinical populations including sleep disorders, depression, schizophrenia and traumatic brain injury.
Aims
Our broad aim is to improve understanding of disorders of emotion through the scientific study of both aetiological and recovery processes.
To achieve this, specific objectives include the development and validation of novel measurement techniques, investigation of the interplay between biopsychosocial processes and the development and testing of novel interventions.
Research Areas
The SIPBR supports research in two cognate themes within the Faculty of Medicine’s mental health research portfolio on psychobiological systems. The behavioural and experimental medicine theme comprises research on sleep and disorders of sleep, on psychological morbidity after medical procedures, and on treatment response in depression and neurobiology of depression in the medically ill. The neuropsychology theme comprises research on clinical phenotypes in schizophrenia and on cognitive and inter-personal functioning in acquired brain injury. There is considerable collaboration between these areas of work, and with a parallel psychosocial systems research programme.
Facilities
Facilities available on site at SIPBR include state-of-the-art neuroimaging including 3 Tesla MRI and SPECT. The University of Glasgow Sleep Centre is a purpose-built, four bedded unit for the study of human sleep using contemporary neurophysiological measurement. SIPBR also has facilities for clinical and neuropsychological examination including access to a wide range of psychometric and performance measures.
Organisation
SIPBR is managed through a steering committee, responsible for strategic policy, and an executive committee, responsible for planning, monitoring and implementation of policy. The Steering Committee comprises the Chair of the Executive Committee, one other director of the Committee and the Dean of Medicine. The Steering Committee works co-operatively with senior staff from the University of Edinburgh, where there is a sister Sackler Institute.
The Executive Committee is chaired by one of the directors (currently Prof Colin Espie, director of Sleep Medicine Research) along with Prof Jon Evans and Prof Tom McMillan (co-directors of Neuropsychology research), Prof Keith Millar, Prof Sally-Ann Cooper (Head of Division of Community Based Sciences) and Prof Angus McKay (Chair of Scientific Advisory Board).
The Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) reviews research applications and advises the Executive Committee. In addition to the chair (Prof Angus McKay) the SAB comprises Prof. Kevin Facey and Prof John Kelly.
Senior Researchers at the Sackler Institute of Psychobiological Research
- Prof Colin Espie
- Prof Jon Evans
- Prof Donald Hadley
- Prof Keith Millar
- Prof Tom McMillan
- Prof David Wyper
- Dr Jonathan Cavanagh
- Dr Barrie Condon
- Dr Jim Paterson
- Dr Leanne Fleming
- Dr Maria Gardani
- Dr Stig Hansen
- Ms Christine Salveta