Rob Brownstone

Professor Rob Brownstone holds the Brain Research UK Chair of Neurosurgery at the Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and School of Life and Medical Sciences, University College London. His research focuses on understanding how brain and spinal cord circuits coordinate movement and how these networks can be harnessed for neurological disease or injury rehabilitation.

• Education: B.Sc. (Computer Science), M.D., Ph.D. (Physiology) from the University of Manitoba
• Postgraduate Training: Neurosurgery Residency & FRCSC at University of Manitoba, Neurophysiology Fellowship at University of Copenhagen

Using electrophysiological, molecular, and imaging techniques with mouse genetic models, his lab investigates motor circuit pathophysiology in conditions like ALS and dystonia, aiming to develop targeted therapeutic strategies for movement restoration. Current research explores spinal microcircuit homeostasis and reticulospinal pathway modulation.

The lab receives funding from Wellcome Trust and Brain Research UK, and is part of the Lab Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) sustainability initiative. Professor Brownstone previously served as Professor in Surgery (Neurosurgery) and Medical Neuroscience at Dalhousie University, Canada, where he practiced as a neurosurgeon at QEII Health Sciences Centre.