Alicia Northall
Postdoctoral Researcher
MULTIMODAL IMAGING TO CHARACTERISE AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS
How can neuroimaging provide biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases? My research investigates this question in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), the most common form of Motor Neuron Disease (MND). ALS is characterised by a rapidly-progressing loss of motor control, typically resulting in death within two years.
More specifically, I utilise recent advances in neuroimaging methods and analysis that offer unprecedented spatial (e.g., 7T-MRI) and temporal (e.g., MEG) resolution. I use these methods, including multimodal 3T-MRI, to characterise ALS in as much detail as possible. This often includes early stage ALS patients and asymptomatic gene carriers.
My wider interests include the effects of environmental factors, such as nutrition and physical activity, on the risk and onset site of ALS.
I am part of the Oxford Motor Neuron Disease Centre within the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, where I am supervised by Prof. Martin Turner. In addition, I am part of the Oxford-GSK Institute for Molecular and Computational Medicine (IMCM) within the Nuffield Department of Medicine.
Recent publications
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Asymmetry in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: clinical, neuroimaging and histological observations.
Yoganathan K. et al, (2025), Brain
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Age-related differences in human cortical microstructure depend on the distance to the nearest vein
Knoll C. et al, (2024), Brain Communications
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A layer-specific model of cortical sensory aging
Liu P. et al, (2023)
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Multimodal layer modelling reveals in vivo pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Northall A. et al, (2023), Brain
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Layer-specific vulnerability is a mechanism of topographic map aging.
Northall A. et al, (2023), Neurobiol Aging, 128, 17 - 32
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Multimodal layer modelling revealsin-vivopathology in ALS
Northall A. et al, (2023)
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The 3D Structural Architecture of the Human Hand Area Is Nontopographic.
Doehler J. et al, (2023), J Neurosci, 43, 3456 - 3476