Pharmacist shortlisted for researcher of the year award
Pharmacist Danielle Turner has been shortlisted for The Times Higher Awards 2006 Young Researcher of the Year.
Dr Turner, a pharmacist researcher at the University of Cambridge, works
mainly with people with schizophrenia. She is investigating how drug
treatments can improve memory.
It used to be thought that if people with schizophrenia were well maintained
on antipsychotic medication they could lead relatively independent lives,
Dr Turner explained to The Journal. “But many people with schizophrenia
can find it impossible to hold down a full-time job or live alone, even
if their core symptoms are controlled,” she said. Their difficulties
seem to be linked to memory problems, she added.
“We found that it is possible to improve short-term memory in people
with schizophrenia following a single dose of modafinil, a drug currently
licensed for narcolepsy,” she said. “We are now looking to
see whether these improvements will be maintained with long-term treatment
and the impact this will have on patients’ quality of life.”
The winner of the Young Researcher of the Year award will be announced
on 15 November. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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