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Natalie Jones BSc MA

Miss Natalie Jones

(she/her)

BSc MA

Teams and roles for Natalie Jones

Overview

I am currently a PhD student at CUBRIC on a Hodge Translational Neuroscience studentship. Recently, I completed work on a Phase I Clinical Drug Study involving MRI, MEG, and cognitive testing. My PhD project centres around investigating how inflammation affects a  number of brain barriers. Using an immune challenge, we're adopting MRI, MEG, and a metacognition task, along with blood measures, physiology, and mood ratings. We're using non-contrast MRI to explore blood-brain barrier permeability, blood CSF barrier function (via Choroid Plexus), and vascular components. My main interests are neuroimaging, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, clinical outcomes, biomarkers of disease, and the influence of hormones on general health and disease risk.

My supervisors are Professor Neil Harrison, Professor Mara Cercignani, and Professor Kathy Triantafilou.

Publication

Research

My main research interests involve neuroscience, neuroinflammation, neurological disease progression, neuroimaging, and women's health. I have previously worked as a research assistant on a Clinical Trail using MEG (task and resting state) as well as fMRI (resting state and structural). I am passionate about uncovering underlying physiological adaptations associated with disease or declining cognitive function, as well as optimising imaging methodology, and working towards better understanding, treatment options and potential preventative measures.

As part of my PhD, I am conducting research into how the immune response affects three main barriers in the brain: blood-brain barrier, blood-CSF barrier, and vasculature. I'll also analyse blood results as a potential biomarker for neuroinflammation, clinical monitoring data, and cognitive task assessments.

 I am also interested in how disorders of the female reproductive system influence hormones, inflammation, cognitive functioning and subsequent disorder, and am particularly passionate about advancing diagnostic MRI for endometriosis, and uncovering associated neurological implications of the disease.

Biography

After completing my BSc Psychology in 2011, I built up my experience, skills, and understanding through working with Flying Start, the Biomedical science laboratory in UHW, and fundraising for the MS Society and Macmillan Cancer Support - raising over £13,000. My main interest has always been around neuroscience, medical interventions, neuroimmunology and psychopharmacology. I returned to Cardiff University in 2019 to complete the MSc Neuroimaging: Methods and Applications, before publishing a separate research project with Raluca Petrican and Alex Fornito, and starting work as a Research Assistant in CUBRIC under Neil Harrison.

Professional memberships

PNIRS: Psychoneuroimmunology Research Society

Contact Details

Email JonesN35@cardiff.ac.uk

Campuses Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Room 1.017, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ

Research themes

Specialisms

  • MRI
  • Clinical research
  • Project management
  • Cognition
  • Disease mechanisms

External profiles