Dr Emma Yhnell
B.Sc. FHEA PhD
Health and Care Research Wales Fellow
- Email:
- yhnelle@cardiff.ac.uk
- Telephone:
- +44 (0)29 2068 8456
- Location:
- Room 12.13, Adeilad Hadyn Ellis, Heol Maendy, Caerdydd, CF24 4HQ
- Sylwebydd y cyfryngau
- Ar gael fel goruchwyliwr ôl-raddedig
Overview
I am a Health and Care Research Wales Fellow working in the Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI). My fellowship is focused on exploring computerised cognitive training (brain training) for people with Huntington's disease.
I have a strong molecular background and completed my BSc Hons in Biochemistry before completing a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience and Huntington’s disease. My research has a strong translational element. I am also interested in the implications that my work has for other diseases and disorders of the brain.
I am a keen public speaker and believe that public understanding and engagement in research is essential. I relish opportunities to tell the general public more and get them involved in my research. I am a STEM ambassador and can often be found at public engagement and outreach events. I am a keen science communicator and have published several communication pieces, in order to raise awareness of Huntington’s disease, in addition to my primary research. My research focus and career aim is to improve the lives of people living with Huntington’s disease.
Major Research Funding
Health and Care Research Wales Fellowship Award 1st October 2016 – 30th September 2019 Dr Emma Yhnell £329,695.00
Jacques & Gloria Gossweiler Foundation 1st April 2016 – 30th September 2017. Dr Emma Yhnell - Lead Applicant, Prof Monica Busse, Dr Claudia Metzler-Baddeley and Prof Anne Rosser - co-applicants £94,714.00
Education and Qualifiations
2016 - Present Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Trials, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
2012 - 2015 PhD Behavioural Neurosciences, Cardiff University
2014 Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA)
2009 - 2012 BSc (Hons) Biochemistry, Cardiff University
Career Overview
2016 - Present Health and Care Research Wales Fellow, Cardiff University
2015 - 2016 Research Associate, Cardiff University
Anrhydeddau a Dyfarniadau
CITER Young Investigator Award, 2017
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), 2017
Womenspire Chwarea Teg Rising Star 2017, Finalist
Most Dedicated STEM Ambassador in Wales Finalist, April 2017
WeAreTheCity Rising Star Nomination, March 2017
NMHRI Travel award to attend British Neuroscience Association conference, 2016
SET for Britain Research Presentation at the Houses of Parliament, 2016.
NECTAR Travel Award (2014 and 2015)
Biochemical Society Travel Grants (2013 and 2015)
The Biochemical Society Scientific Communication Writing Award Winner, 2015
Best PhD talk at Careers in Neuroscience Satellite Event for NECTAR, Galway, Ireland 2014.
Guarantors of Brain Travel Grant to attend Hereditary Disease Foundation Conference, Boston USA
Shortlisted Finalist for the Max Perutz Science Writing Award, MRC London, 2013.
Biology Researchers in Schools Certificate, Cardiff University, 2013.
Aelodaethau proffesiynol
Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER)
The Federation of Neuroscience Societies (FENS)
The British Neuroscience Association (BNA).
The Higher Education Academy (AFHEA).
The European Huntington’s Disease Network (EHDN).
Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Ambassador.
The Biochemical Society.
Safleoedd academaidd blaenorol
Lecturer at The Centre for Continuing Professional Education and Development (Jan. 2016 – Present)
Research Associate, The Brain Repair Group Cardiff University (Oct. 2015 – March 2016)
PhD Student, The Brain Repair Group, Cardiff University (Sept 2012 – Sept 2015)
Ymrwymiadau siarad cyhoeddus
I believe public engagement in science is essential and I am always happy to take up public engagement opportunities.
I am a STEM Ambassador and give talks at schools and colleges as well as hosting visitors to the unverisity.
Huntington's Disease Ireland - Key note speaker June 2017
Brain Games 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 at Cardiff Museum
Keen Twitter user @EmmaYhnell
Pwyllgorau ac adolygu
Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute (NMHRI) Public Engagement Committee
Institute for Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences (IPMCN) Public Engagement Committee
Cardiff Institute for Tissue Engineering and Repair (CITER) Public Engagement Committee
2019
- Yhnell, E.et al. 2019. WhyWeDoResearch: using social media effectively and positively as a tool to engage public, patients and healthcare staff in research. Research for All 3(1), pp. 7-17. (10.18546/RFA.03.1.02)
2018
- Furby, H.et al. 2018. Using 3T MRI to explore myelin break-down in pre-symptomatic huntington’s disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry 89(S1), pp. A37-A38., article number: E06. (10.1136/jnnp-2018-EHDN.100)
- Yhnell, E. and Heuer, A. 2018. Automated operant assessments of Huntington's Disease mouse models. In: Precious, S., Rosser, A. and Dunnett, S. eds. Huntington’s Disease., Vol. 1780. Methods in Molecular Biology Springer, (10.1007/978-1-4939-7825-0_8)
- Yhnell, E.et al. 2018. Exploring computerised cognitive training as a therapeutic intervention for people with Huntington's disease (CogTrainHD): protocol for a randomised feasibility study. Pilot and Feasibility Studies 4, article number: 45. (10.1186/s40814-018-0237-0)
- Yhnell, E. and Heuer, A. 2018. Automated operant assessments of Huntington's disease mouse model. In: Methods Molecular Biology.. Springer Nature
2017
- Yhnell, E. 2017. Huntington's disease: of mice and men. Oncotarget 8(8), pp. 12552-12553. (10.18632/oncotarget.15129)
2016
- Yhnell, E., Dunnett, S. and Brooks, S. 2016. A longitudinal operant assessment of cognitive and behavioural changes in the HdhQ111 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. PLoS ONE 11(10), article number: e0164072. (10.1371/journal.pone.0164072)
- Yhnell, E.et al. 2016. L30 Cognitive training improves disease symptoms in a mouse model of huntington's disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 87(Supp 1), pp. A100-A101. (10.1136/jnnp-2016-314597.285)
- Steventon, J.et al. 2016. Longitudinal in vivo MRI in a Huntington's disease mouse model: global atrophy in the absence of white matter microstructural damage. Scientific Reports 6, article number: 32423. (10.1038/srep32423)
- Yhnell, E., Dunnett, S. B. and Brooks, S. P. 2016. A longitudinal motor characterisation of the HdhQ111 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. Journal of Huntington's Disease 5(2), pp. 149-161. (10.3233/JHD-160191)
- Yhnell, E., Dunnett, S. B. and Brooks, S. P. 2016. The utilisation of operant delayed matching and non-matching to position for probing cognitive flexibility and working memory in mouse models of Huntington's disease. Journal of Neuroscience Methods 265, pp. 72-80. (10.1016/j.jneumeth.2015.08.022)
- Yhnell, E.et al. 2016. Cognitive training modifies disease symptoms in a mouse model of Huntington's disease. Experimental Neurology 282, pp. 19-26. (10.1016/j.expneurol.2016.05.008)
- Yhnell, E.et al. 2016. The impact of attaining the Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma on academic performance in bioscience higher education. International Journal of Science Education 38(1), pp. 156-169. (10.1080/09500693.2015.1135353)
- Smith, P.et al. 2016. The 'Sophomore Slump' - do learners recover and can year-on-year grade begin to provide answers to difficult questions?. Presented at: British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, Leeds, UK, 13-15 Sept 2016.
2015
- Yhnell, E. 2015. James and the giant gene. The Biochemical Society.
- Yhnell, E. 2015. A phenotypic characterisation of the HdhQ111 mouse model of Huntington’s disease. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
2014
- Yhnell, E., Dunnett, S. B. and Brooks, S. P. 2014. C04 A longitudinal behavioural characterisation of the HDHQ111 mouse model of Huntington's Disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 85(Supp 1), article number: A26. (10.1136/jnnp-2014-309032.77)
Teaching Overview:
I enjoy teaching and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). I am a module lead, lecturer and conduct pedagogic research.
Lecturing and Module Leadership:
I lecture at the Centre for Continuing and Professional Education and I am module lead for 'Diseases and Disorders of the Brain.'
I have experience in lecturing undergraduate students and I give lectures on my research for the School of Biosciences in the module Mechanisms of Human Disease.
Pedagogic Research:
I am also involved in several educational research studies with colleagues in the School of Biosciences. These have included research into the Welsh Baccalaureate Qualification (WBQ) and further studies are ongoing.
Research Overview:
I am a Health and Care Research Wales Fellow specialising in Huntington’s disease. My fellowship focuses on using computerised cognitive training for people with Huntington's disease. I am interested in disorders of the brain and what can be done to help people who are living with these disorders.
I am also involved in a study funded by the Jacque and Gloria Gossweiler Foundation which looks to explore the underlying biological mechanisms associated with cognitive training, with colleagues in Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC).
My PhD was completed in 2015 with Prof. Steve Dunnett in the Brain Repair group and looked to explore pre-clinical models of Huntington's disease.
Major Research Funding:
Health and Care Research Wales Fellowship Award 1st October 2016 – 30th September 2019 Dr Emma Yhnell £329,695.00
Jacques & Gloria Gossweiler Foundation 1st April 2016 – 30th September 2017. Dr Emma Yhnell - Lead Applicant, Prof Monica Busse, Dr Claudia Metzler-Baddeley and Prof Anne Rosser - co-applicants £94,714.00
Research is often funded by the tax payer and the ultimate goal of my research is to have a beneficial effect on society. I am passionate about telling the public about what I do to increase knowledge and understanding and entertain!
Engagament and Outreach Activities
I strongly believe that we have a moral responsibilty to engage the general public in science, specifically research. In addition to formal academic talks, I have given over 50 talks at public engagement events to local, national and international audiences. This includes; the general public, school children, patients and elderly people.
I am involved in several science communication groups, events and committees including:
- Royal Society Pairing Scheme 2018 (Paired with Kevin Brennan MP)
- British Science Association Charles Darwin Lecture 2018
- Hay Festival 2018
- Soapbox Science Presenter 2018
- Pint of Science Speaker 2018
- Huntington's Disease Ireland - Keynote speaker 2017
- STEM Ambassador
- #WhyWeDoResearch campaign Tweetchat presenter
- Wales Gene Park Speaker
- British Science Association (Cardiff Branch) SciCafe Presenter
- Cardiff University Brain Games volunteer and presenter (2013-present)
- Cardiff University Directory of Expertise for Media Engagement
- Cardiff University Engagement Champion 2016 (https://youtu.be/9JGB-jK22G0)
Engagement Grants
The Anatomical Society Public Engagement and Outreach Grant ‘Snap Anatomy’ awarded to Dr Zubeyde Bayram-Weston and Dr Emma Yhnell £492.32
Biochemical Society Scientific Outreach Grant awarded to Dr Emma Yhnell, September 2017 ‘Giant Genes’ £985
