Harry Bradford-Dunk

Thesis title: Dysregulation of cardiovascular activity in genetic forms of autism

Biography

Background

First year PhD student investigating dysregulation of cardiovascular measures in monogenic causes of autism spectrum disorder (SYNGAP1 Haploinsufficiency and Fragile X Syndrome).

Qualifications

MScR Integrative Neuroscience - Edinburgh University (2023)

BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology with a Professional Placement Year - Cardiff University (2022)

Current research interests

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a group of heterogenous conditions with onset during childhood and include autism spectrum disorder (ASD), intellectual disability and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ASD is estimated to affect 1.18% of children globally with monogenic forms of ASD accounting for approximately 15% of all ASD cases. Therapeutic development for ASD, as well as timing/quality of diagnoses, are often impacted as we lack objective biomarkers and translatable outcomes from preclinical research. Research has highlighted that dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and cardiovascular system are common co-occurrences in ASD individuals. We aim to investigate this dysregulation of the cardiovascular system in individuals with common monogenic causes of ASD, SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency and Fragile X Syndrome, with the aim to develop these measures as potential translational biomarkers to better diagnose and/or assess potential ASD treatments. We will first utilise behavioural testing in rodent models of these disorders (Syngap+/Δ-GAP and Fmr1+/-) with a range of stressors whilst simultaneously obtaining cardiovascular recordings and compare these cardiovascular measures with data collected from affected humans.
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