A neurologist and geneticist at the University of Sheffield has been appointed to the first Rob Burrow Professorship in Translational Neurobiology, established in honour of the late rugby league player Rob Burrow.
Dr Johnathan Cooper-Knock, based at the University’s Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), has been handed the award to support his research into new treatments for Motor Neuron Disease (MND).
The £1.5 million fellowship, funded by the MND Association in honour of the late patron, will help Dr Cooper-Knock accelerate his research hunting for genes underpinning the disease.
Rob Burrow’s parents Geoff and Irene Burrow were among the first to congratulate Dr Cooper-Knock while visiting SITraN’s MND research facilities earlier this month.
Dr Cooper-Knock, who is also a NIHR Clinical Lecturer, said: “This Professorship is occurring at a truly exciting moment in the fight against MND with lots of new treatments in the pipeline. However, currently there is a gap in our knowledge – for the majority of patients we simply don't know why the disease starts, even though we know genetics plays a part.
“In this Professorship I’m hoping to fill this gap. We're taking a new approach - instead of only looking at the motor neurons - the cells that die - we're studying how they interact with every other cell around them.
“Focusing on the whole picture is our best chance to find the hidden gene faults which can then become new drug targets to slow down or treat MND. We have some promising leads from our work already and I really feel we are on the cusp of something exciting.”
Rob Burrow was diagnosed with MND in 2019. A rugby league icon, he became an advocate for MND awareness and the need for greater investment into research. He died in June 2024, aged 41.
Rob’s legacy and the fundraising from many has driven forward MND research, including this Professorship in Rob’s name.
The award provides funding over an eight-year period, which will allow Dr Cooper-Knock to commit more time to research, build his scientific team and extend his investigations into causes and treatments.
Geoff Burrow, Rob’s father said: “Funding for MND research gives us hope that one day there will be an end to MND. Rob worked so hard to fundraise to help find treatments and I am so proud this Professorship, funded by the MND Association, is in his name. It was inspiring to visit SITraN to see the research taking place there and meet Professor Johnathan Cooper-Knock, who is absolutely amazing. Irene and I couldn’t have wished for anyone better.”
Dr Brian Dickie, Chief Scientist at the MND Association, said: “Dr Cooper-Knock is a brilliant example of a clinician who is doing research that could directly benefit the patients he cares for.
“We are forever grateful to Rob for helping to make more people aware of how devastating this disease is. This award recognises Rob’s drive to find effective treatments for MND and his determination to accelerate MND research so no one else would have to face the same diagnosis. We hope this work paves the way for a very different outlook for people with MND in years to come.”