Summer Event 2026
*This event has been postponed due to weather warnings, new date to be announced*
Thursday 25th June, 9:00–18:00 | Spark building Cardiff
With guest speaker Professor Gillian Bates
3:40 - 4:30
We are so excited to invite you to this year's HD Centre in Wales summer event. Join us for a full day showcasing the breadth of work happening across the centre. This year, we have Professor Gillian Bates speaking, one of the codiscoverers of the molecular basis of HD. We invite everyone to a wine reception following Professor Bates' talk.
Programme
9:00 — Registration
9:30 — Introduction
Session 1: Imaging in HD
9:35–10:00 — Dr Claudia Metzler-Baddeley, Results of the HD-Drum study
10:00–10:15 — Dr Victor Navarro, Drum-AI
Session 2: Translation
10:15–10:40 — Dr Mariah Lelos, Development of a stem cell therapy for HD
10:40–10:55 — Phoebe Linehan, Modulation of GABAA receptors in HD
10:55–11:10 — Prof Yuqin Wang, Cholesterol metabolism in HD: from animal model to human
11:10–11:25 — Coffee break
Session 3: Genetics of HD
11:25–11:50 — Dr Chris Wills, Characterising the genetic aetiology of cognitive, motor, and behavioural/psychiatric symptoms in HD
11:50–12:05 — Dr Joe Stone, Modelling somatic CAG repeat expansion in Huntington's disease using i3 neurons
Session 4: Poster talks
12:05–12:30 — Ten-minute poster talks: Prof John Erichsen, Dr Rob Mitchell-Gee
12:30–13:30 — Lunch and posters
Session 5: Molecular Mechanisms of HD
13:30–13:55 — Dr Sarah Langley, Insights from a drug repurposing study in Huntington's disease
13:55–14:10 — Dr Kyle Fears, Molecular characterisation of the F344tgHD rat model of Huntington's disease
Session 6: Impact of HD on People and Families
14:10–14:25 — Dr Cheney Drew, Early HD Brain Biobanking Project
14:25–14:35 — Prof Anne Rosser, UniQure and Alnylam overview
14:35–15:20 — Lived experience session
15:20–15:40 — Coffee break
15:40–16:30 — Keynote: Prof Gillian Bates FRS, Lowering HTT for clinical benefit in Huntington's disease
16:30–18:00 — Wine reception