Personal information

Verified email domains

Magnetic resonance imaging, Schizophrenia, Autism, Neuroinflammation, Neuropharmacology
United Kingdom

Biography

The Vernon lab is an inter-disciplinary research group working at the interface of fundamental neuroscience and clinical research into mental health. Current work in the laboratory is focused on two themes:
(1) Understanding the effects of psychotropic drugs used in the treatment of mental health problems, such as antipsychotics and antidepressants, on the nervous, immune and endocrine systems. By understanding the long-term impact of psychotropic drug treatment, we will inform the clinical use of these drugs, to improve risk: benefit profiles and potentially response rates.

Key publications for Theme 1:
Vernon et al., Biol. Psychiatry, 2011, DOI:10.1016/j.biopsych.2010.11.010
Vernon et al., Biol. Psychiatry, 2012, DOI:10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.12.004
Vernon et al., Biol. Psychiatry, 2014, DOI:10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.09.012
Cotel et al., Eur. NPP, 2015, DOI:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.08.004
Crum et al., Psych. Med., 2016, DOI:10.1017/S0033291716001768
Hawkins et al., Human Brain Mapping, 2018, DOI:10.1002/hbm.23844

(2) To understand how alterations in brain structure and function observed in patients with mental health disorders align with appropriate experimental models. This research is crucial to advance knowledge of causative biological pathways and mechanisms to provide much-needed and more effective therapies for mental health problems including early, preventative interventions.

Key publications for Theme 2:
Vernon et al., Eur. NPP, 2015b, DOI:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.09.022
Turkheimer et al., NBBR 2015, DOI:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.04.014
Richetto et al., Cerebral Cortex, 2017, DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhw320
Crum et al., BBI, 2017, DOI:10.1016/j.bbi.2016.12.008
Mondelli et al., Lancet Psych., 2017 DOI:10.1016/S2215-0366(17)30101-3
Notter et al., Mol. Psych., 2018, DOI:10.1038/mp.2016.248

A common thread linking both themes is the role of glial cells and immune dysfunction as both a pathological mechanism and putative treatment target for mental illness. Specifically, we are interested in the role of neuron-microglia interactions in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders and whether glial cells play a role in the therapeutic and adverse effects of antipsychotic and antidepressant drugs.

We primarily study rodent models, but also human induced pluripotent stem cells (hIPSC) differentiated towards neural and glial cell fates. We use a broad range of methods that include but are not limited to: small animal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; clinically comparable technology), next generation 3D histopathology (CLARITY), conventional 2D neuropathology, biochemistry, proteomics and transcriptomics. However, our lab is “question oriented” rather than “method oriented” and we are interested to exploit any new advances in technology to address our research questions.

Activities

Employment (6)

King's College London: London, GB

Employment
Source: check_circle
King's College London

Kings College London: London, GB

2017-09-01 to present | Senior Lecturer (Basic and Clinical Neuroscience)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Kings College London: London, GB

2017-09-01 to present | Group Leader (MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

King's College London: London, London, GB

2013-05-01 to 2017-08-31 | Lecturer (Basic and Clinical Neuroscience)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

King's College London: London, London, GB

2010-01-06 to 2013-04-31 | Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Psychosis Studies)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

King's College London: London, London, GB

2007-01-06 to 2010-01-05 | Edmond J Safra Fellow (Neuroscience)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Education and qualifications (2)

Imperial College London: London, London, GB

2002-09-01 to 2006-08-31 | Ph.D. (Neuroscience)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Imperial College London: London, London, GB

1998-10-01 to 2002-07-01 | Biochemistry with a Year in Industry /Research (Biochemistry)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Professional activities (11)

Frontiers Media SA: Lausanne, VD, CH

2019-01-05 to present | Associate Editor (Frontiers in Psychiatry)
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Springer Nature: Strassen, Luxembourg, LU

2018-10-01 to present | Editoral board member (Journal of Neural Transmission)
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Nature Publishing Group: London, London, GB

2017-09-01 to present | Editoral board member, Neuroscience (Scientific Reports)
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Parkinson's UK: London, GB

2016-09-01 to present | Panel member (Grant Award Panel 1)
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Schizophrenia International Research Society: Brentwood, TN, US

2014-01-01 to present | Full member
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

British Association for Psychopharmacology: Cambridge, GB

2012-01-01 to present | Full member
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

European College of Neuropsychopharmacology: Utrecht, Utrecht, NL

2011-01-01 to present | Full member
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

American College of Neuropsychopharmacology: Brentwood, TN, US

2018 to 2018 | Travel Award
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

British Association for Psychopharmacology: Cambridge, GB

2017 to 2017 | Psychopharmacology Award, Senior
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

European College of Neuropsychopharmacology: Utrecht, Utrecht, NL

2012 to 2012 | Fellowship Award
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

European College of Neuropsychopharmacology: Utrecht, Utrecht, NL

2011 to 2011 | Fellowship Award
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Funding (12)

Maternal Immune Activation: advancing from rodents to humans through a development of a hIPSC model to study gene x environment interactions

2019-10 to 2022-09 | Grant
National Centre for the Replacement Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

NC/S001506/1

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Inhibition of placental transfer as a therapeutic target in antibody-mediated neurodevelopmental disorders

2019-02 to 2019-08 | Contract
UCB Biopharma SPRL (Brussels, BE)
GRANT_NUMBER:

Project 1114962

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Understanding the immune changes involved in the link between childhood trauma and adolescent depression

2018-12 to 2020-05 | Grant
Medical Research Foundation (London, GB)
Part of GRANT_NUMBER:

MRF-160-0005-ELP-MONDE

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Investigating the role of N-terminal tau splice variants and inhibitory synapses in brain structural and functional deficits of a TDP-43 knock-in mouse model of ALS-FTD

2018-08 to 2021-07 | Grant
Alzheimer’s Research UK (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

ARUK-PG2018B-008

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

From brain to cell and back again: determining the molecular mechanisms of psychosis and developing a cellular platform for novel drug discovery

2017-11 to 2018-10 | Grant
Medical Research Council (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

MR/N026063/1

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Do antipsychotics inflame the brain?

2016-06 to 2019-05 | Grant
Medical Research Council (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

MR/N025377/1

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Ex vivo MRI study of brains of female and male Wistar rats prenatally exposed to poly I:C

2016-06 to 2016-09 | Grant
F. Hoffmann-La Roche (London, CH)
Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

GENESIS: Molecular and imaging markers of drug induced cerebral plasticity

2015-02 to 2016-07 | Grant
King's Health Partners (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

R140805

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Consortium for Neuroimmunology of Mood Disorders and Alzheimer's disease

2015-01 to 2017-12 | Grant
Wellcome Trust (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

ICD 665772

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Development and application of integrated MRI and CLARITY imaging protocols for the brain

2014-03 to 2015-02 | Grant
Royal Society (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

RG130610

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Does inflammation cause depressed mood by inducing changes in brain structure? Developing a translational animal model

2013-05 to 2015-12 | Grant
Psychiatry Research Trust (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

McGregor 97

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon

Effects of antipsychotics: linking brain structural imaging changes to cellular alterations and evaluating mitigation strategies.

2011-08 to 2015-01 | Grant
Medical Research Council (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER:

G1002198

Source: Self-asserted source
Anthony Christopher Vernon