ALF Grant Awarded for Three-Year Cluster Headache Research Project
Andrea Carmine Belin, a principal researcher at the Department of Neuroscience, has been awarded an ALF grant for a three-year research project focusing on cluster headache. This grant acknowledges the team's research and established collaboration with clinicians.
The funding aims to enhance understanding of the mechanisms underlying cluster headache. The project seeks to improve diagnostics, optimize existing treatments, develop more effective drugs, and potentially find a cure.
Key aspects of the project include detailed genetic analyses and functional studies of risk genes associated with cluster headache. It also involves systematic studies of patient characteristics, such as sex differences, hormonal factors, co-existing conditions, and mental health. Sleep will be studied using questionnaires, overnight sleep recordings, and measurements of daily activity and circadian rhythm.
These collective efforts are intended to advance precision medicine for cluster headache.
This involves identifying biological markers that can help categorize patients into subgroups and predict treatment efficacy, as well as evaluating treatment strategies connected to sleep and biological rhythms.
Close collaboration between the research group and neurology clinics is expected to accelerate the introduction of new findings into routine healthcare. The long-term objectives include developing new diagnostic tests, improving treatment choices, and creating new strategies that consider both sleep and mental health.