UCL Chan Lab

Our research group focuses on understanding the early stages of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Recognizing that the entorhinal cortex (EC)-hippocampal circuit is among the first brain regions to degenerate in AD—and given the critical role of its neurons (such as grid cells, place cells, and head direction cells) in spatial navigation and memory—we explore how dysfunction in this circuit contributes to the disease. Using innovative virtual reality (VR) and tablet-based spatial navigation tests, we aim to demonstrate that changes in spatial behaviour may signal the clinical onset of AD, even before episodic memory impairment becomes evident. By grounding these spatial tests in neuronal function, our work seeks to bridge a major gap in AD research: understanding how cellular-level pathology translates into the clinical symptoms of the disease.

Our long-term vision is to use knowledge of the entorhinal cortex (EC)-hippocampal involvement in AD to achieve two key goals: early identification of the disease at its onset and a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that preserve EC-hippocampal function.

The information on this website outline some of the projects currently running in the Chan Lab. Anyone interested in undertaking a PhD project is welcome to contact our lab manager, Jemma Pitt (jemma.pitt@ucl.ac.uk).