The Manchester Neuromuscular Research Group was established in 2024 to facilitate collaborative neuromuscular research in the Greater Manchester area. The group brings together research-active consultant neurologists with special interest in neuromuscular conditions based at Manchester Centre for Clinical Neuroscience. MCCN is one of the largest neuroscience departments in the UK, covering a population of 2.5 million, with specialist clinics in muscle disorders including inflammatory, genetic and degenerative myopathies neuromuscular junction disorders including myasthenia gravis and disorders of the peripheral nerve including inflammatory and genetic neuropathies.
The group is headed by Dr James Lilleker (muscle lead), Dr Katherine Dodd (neuromuscular junction lead), and Dr Ryan Keh (peripheral nerve lead).
The MNRG have a growing portfolio of neuromuscular clinical trials and facilitate biomarker research through established collections within the Northern Care Alliance Research Collection biobank and the Manchester Cancer Research Centre Biobank. Current and past research includes identification of biomarkers and disease mechanisms in inflammatory neuropathies, myasthenia gravis and inclusion body myositis, and MRI imaging in inflammatory myopathies.