Dr Jason Berwick

PhD, Bsc(Hons)

Department of Psychology

Reader in Neurophysiology

Assistant Faculty Director of Research and Innovation

j.berwick@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 6574

Full contact details

Dr Jason Berwick
Department of Psychology
Alfred Denny Building
Western Bank
Sheffield
S10 2TN
Profile

I joined the Department of Psychology in 1996 as a PhD student in the laboratory of Professor John Mayhew. Our research uses multimodal imaging and electrophysiological techniques to measure a mechanism in the brain called Neurovascular coupling (NVC). This mechanism provides the image contrast for modern neuroimaging technologies such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the early focus of the research was to understand NVC in order to provide a better understanding and interpretation of fMRI signals.

My position was made permanent in 2007 and our research has now expanded to investigate in neurodegenerations with a particular focus on Alzheimer’s disease and focal cortical epilepsy. Our laboratory is focussed on not only understanding NVC decline in disease but also in the development of novel therapies that target the cerebrovascular system to slow down or halt disease progression.

I am in the privileged position in that my job is also my hobby and I am passionate about encouraging students to experience research and to help develop the next generation of scientists.

Qualifications
  • Bsc (Hons) Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Sheffield.
  • PhD Neuroscience, University of Sheffield
Research interests

Neurovascular coupling is a mechanism that ensures active regions of the brain are supplied with enough oxygen and glucose to function properly. Although first discovered over 130 years ago, to this day we still do not have a complete understanding about how neurovascular coupling works. Our laboratory uses multimodal neuroimaging and electrophysiological techniques to measure and understand neurovascular coupling in normal function, how it goes wrong in disease and importantly to develop new therapies based on enhancing/restoring cerebrovascular function.

Neurovascular

Current projects include:

  • Neurovascular coupling and breakdown in Alzheimer’s Disease
  • Neurovascular coupling in Focal Cortical Epilepsy
  • Interpretation of the negative BOLD fMRI signal
  • The role of temperature in Neurovascular coupling.
  • The interaction between Atherosclerosis and Alzheimer’s Disease
Publications

Show: Featured publications All publications

Journal articles

Conference proceedings papers

  • Martin C, Berwick J, Kennerley A, Zheng Y & Mayhew J (2009) Spatiotemporal complexity in the haemodynamic response to somatosensory stimulation in the un-anaesthetized rat. JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, Vol. 29 (pp S105-S105) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Martin C, Kennerley A, Berwick J, Sibson N & Mayhew J (2009) Functional magnetic resonance imaging in un-anaesthetized rats using a chronically implanted surface coil. JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, Vol. 29 (pp S606-S607) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zheng Y, Pan Y, Harris S, Billings S, Coca D, Berwick J, Kennerley A, Johnston D & Mayhew J (2009) A mathematical model of the neurovascular coupling suggesting both vasodilation and vasoconstriction. JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, Vol. 29 (pp S19-S20) RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

All publications

Journal articles

Chapters

Conference proceedings papers

  • Das D, Kennerley AJ, Harris S & Berwick J (2017) The influence of mild hypercapnia on brain intracellular pH, phosphate metabolites and cerebral blood flow: A multi-nuclear (1H/31P) MR study at 7T. Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. (2017), 22 April 2017 - 27 April 2017. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Martin C, Berwick J, Kennerley A, Zheng Y & Mayhew J (2009) Spatiotemporal complexity in the haemodynamic response to somatosensory stimulation in the un-anaesthetized rat. JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, Vol. 29 (pp S105-S105) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Martin C, Kennerley A, Berwick J, Sibson N & Mayhew J (2009) Functional magnetic resonance imaging in un-anaesthetized rats using a chronically implanted surface coil. JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, Vol. 29 (pp S606-S607) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Zheng Y, Pan Y, Harris S, Billings S, Coca D, Berwick J, Kennerley A, Johnston D & Mayhew J (2009) A mathematical model of the neurovascular coupling suggesting both vasodilation and vasoconstriction. JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, Vol. 29 (pp S19-S20) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Mayhew J, Berwick J, Kennerley A, Martindale J, Papadakis N & Zheng Y (2004) Concurrent optical imaging spectroscopy, laser Doppler flowmetry and magnetic resonance imaging in the investigation of the relative intra and extra vascular contributions to the BOLD signal. Biomedical Topical Meeting, 2004. RIS download Bibtex download
  • Jones M, Gias C, Martin C, Berwick J, Martindale J, Johnston D, Mayhew J & Coffey P (2002) Optical imaging of visual cortex in unanaesthetised rat. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, Vol. 43 (pp U1339-U1339) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Porrill J, Stone JV, Berwick J, Mayhew J & Coffey P (2000) Analysis of optical imaging data using weak models and ICA. ADVANCES IN INDEPENDENT COMPONENT ANALYSIS (pp 217-233) RIS download Bibtex download
  • Coffey PJ, Oliver P, Berwick J, Jones M & Mayhew J (1999) Optical imaging of visual cortex in congenic and dystrophic royal college of surgeons rats. INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, Vol. 40(4) (pp S124-S124) RIS download Bibtex download

Preprints

Research group

Part of the Neuroscience and Cognition Group

Postdoctoral Researcher

  • Dr Osman Shabir – Investigating the links between Atherosclerosis and Dementia

Research Associates

  • Beth Eyre Llywelyn Lee

Postgraduate students

  • Naomi King - "Developing chronic implants for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in pre-clinical models"

  • Shannon O'Connor - "Neurotransmitters, brain blood flow and functional brain imaging signals"

  • Rahul Sidhu - "Two diseases, one brain: The effects of cardiovascular disease on the speed, progression and severity of Alzheimer's Disease"

  • Runchong Wang - "Neuronal coupling across spatiotemporal scales and dimensions of cortical population activity"

  • Marilina Douloudi 

Grants

Recent Grants:

  • 2023-2026 Medical Research Council project grant - Massaging brain vessels with vasomotion: Targeting the vasculature to alter disease progression in mouse models of dementia. Dr Jason Berwick and Dr Clare Howarth (Joint PI’s). Dr Chris Martin and Dr Julie Simpson. £1.24M full fec.
  • 2021-2024 Sheffield Neuroscience Institute PhD studentship award : Cortical hyperexcitability as a novel therapeutic target in neurodegenerative disease : Dr Richard Mead (Primary Supervisor), Dr Matthew Livesey, Dr Clare Howarth, Dr Jason Berwick and Dr Jodie Stephenson (Co-supervisors). - £140K.
  • 2021-2024 Sheffield Neuroscience Institute PhD studentship award : Developing chronic implants for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease in pre-clinical models. Dr Jason Berwick (Primary Supervisor), Dr Clare Howarth and Professor Ivan Minev (Co-supervisors). - £80K
  • 2022-2025 MRC DiMen DTP PhD studentship award : Two diseases, one brain: The effects of cardiovascular disease on the speed, progression and severity of Alzheimer’s Disease. Dr Clare Howarth (Primary Supervisor), Dr Jason Berwick and Professor Sheila Francis (Co-supervisors) - £80K.
  • 2020-2023 British Heart Foundation Project grant: Atherosclerosis, the brain and vascular dementia – the role of inflammation in neurovascular function. Professor Sheila Francis (PI),Dr Jason Berwick (CO-I), Dr Clare Howarth, Professor Stuart Allan, Dr Emmanuel Pinteaux: £256K
  • 2019-2022 Battelle PhD studentship: Understanding neurovascular breakdown in the APP/PS1 mouse. Berwick J and Howarth (Joint PI’s), Vazquez A (CO-I) - £137K

Past Grants:

  • 2016    MRC-KHIDI UK-KOREA PARTNERING AWARDS Title: Integrating multimodal imaging technologies to investigate neurovascular dysfunction in neurological disorders Sheffield University Team: Dr Jason Berwick (PI), Dr Luke Boorman, Dr Sam Harris, Dr Paul Sharp Sungkyunkwan University Team: Professor Minah Suh (PI). Dr Eunha Baeg, Dr Chaejeong Heo, Dr Sohee Lee. Total value: £20K
  • 2016-2018.  Brain Research New Zealand. Dysfunctional Neurovascular Coupling: A precursor to Alzheimer’s? David T (PI), Berwick J (CO-I). $180K NZ Dollar.
  • 2015    FRIENZ study tour of New Zealand – ‘Living a Long and Healthy Life. ~£10K
  • 2015-2018       Epilepsy Research UK project grant. How activation of sensory regions can promote propagation of adjacent focal neocortical seizures. Berwick J (PI), Harris S, Schwartz T, Overton PG, Kennerley A, Zheng Y. £147K
  • 2015-2018       Medical Research Council. Investigating the thermoregulatory role of neurovascular coupling and the anti-epileptogenic and neuroprotective effects of focal cerebral cooling. Berwick J (PI), Harris S, Martin C, Redgrave P, Boorman L, Kennerley A. ~£558K Full Fec
  • 2014-2016       Interdisciplinary Research Grant Alzheimer’s Research UK. Neurovascular dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease: the search for early biomarkers. Berwick J (PI), Wharton S, Heath P. ~£507K full fec
  • 2015-2019      Wellcome Trust Health Innovation Challenge Fund – Round 8. GOLD imaging in acute stroke: further technology development incorporating a perfluorocarbon oxygen carrier. Muir K (PI), Santosh C (PI), Macrae IM, Deuchar G, Berwick J (CO-I), Kennerley AJ. £1.79M full fec (£120K to Sheffield)
  • 2013-2016       Biotechnology and biological sciences research council. Understanding neural excitation and inhibition: implications for the interpretation of extracellular field potentials and neurovascular coupling. Zheng Y (PI), Berwick J, Jones M, Billings S, Coca D, Milne E,  Redgrave P. ~£850K full fec
  • 2011-2014       Medical Research Council. The neurophysiological basis of negative BOLD signals – Berwick J (PI), Jones M, Kennerley A, Boorman L, Martin C, Redgrave P, Zheng Y. £655K full fec
  • 2011-2014       Wellcome Trust.  Understanding Epilepsy in the active brain - Berwick J (PI), Overton PG, Schwartz T, Kennerley A, Ma H, Zhao M. ~£519K full fec
  • 2009- 2012      EPSRC. "Engineering virus-like nanoparticles for targeting the central nervous system". G Battaglia (PI), S P. Armes, M. Azzouz, O. Bandmann, J. Berwick, P.G. Ince , A.J. Kennerley, M. Jones, R. Golestanian, R. Hose, R. Mead, K. Ning, A.J. Ryan, P. Shaw, R. Smallwood, D. Walker & Y. Zheng. £ 2,060,808;
  • 2007 – 2010    Medical Research Council New Investigator Award entitled ‘Neurovascular Coupling under the microscope’ – Principal Investigator £415K
Teaching activities

Teach across all Clinical/Neuro undergraduate streams including :

  • PSY1003: Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology
  • PSY2003: Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology II
  • PSY303: Neural Basis of Learning and Memory
  • PSY331- Extended essay
  • PSY346 - Research project Teach across masters courses in Cognitive neuroscience
  • PSY6306 - Fundamentals of Neuroscience
  • PSY6424 - Neuroimaging 2
Professional activities and memberships

- Assistant Faculty Director of Research and Innovation (2021-present)

- BBRSC Grant Panel member (2017-2023)

- Member of Sheffield Neuroscience Executive Board (2019-present)

PhD Opportunities

We advertise PhD opportunities (Funded or Self-Funded) on FindAPhD.com

For further information, please see the department PhD Opportunities page.