UCLH and GSL’s partnership brings diagnostics hope for Parkinson’s and other diseases

A new partnership between UCLH and Guilford Street Laboratories (GSL) will combine next generation testing, artificial intelligence, advanced mass spectrometry and machine learning to diagnostics in the UK.  

The partnership, a UK first for the NHS, will marry scientists and clinicians to create new tests meaning earlier diagnoses, better monitoring of new therapies and improved outcomes for NHS patients. 

The focus will be on neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disorders like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and complex inherited metabolic conditions including mitochondrial and neurotransmitter disorders. 

New medicines and therapies such as genetic, small molecule and protein therapies are emerging and testing needs to keep pace.  These new tests will improve specificity and sensitivity of monitoring and diagnostics in clinical trial capability by marrying GSL’s method development and AI expertise with the UCLH’s National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery’s Neurometabolic Unit’s clinical diagnostic specialism.   

Dr Caitriona O’Rourke, Senior Business Manager, UCLB, said: “It’s inspiring to see such rapid action from GSL, which is combining advanced techniques to improve diagnostics. This strategic partnership will bring hope to many, allowing for faster treatment for diseases including Parkinson’s.”

Professor Kevin Mills, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of GSL said: “This unique partnership brings together the expertise of clinicians and scientists. Together, we will discover new biomarkers, develop groundbreaking tests and most importantly, significantly accelerate the translation of these advancements into the NHS to benefit patients.” 

Professor Simon Heales, Director of the Neurometabolic Unit at NHNN added: “This partnership will enable the Neurometabolic Unit to continue to innovate and provide state of the art diagnostic testing for the patient groups we serve.  Furthermore, this collaboration will permit our NHS laboratory to expand its translational research activity and so guarantee that we remain at the forefront of highly specialised diagnostics and monitoring.” 

GSL was formed in 2024 as a spinout from University College London, supported by UCL Business (UCLB). Founders Professor Kevin Mills, Dr Tomas Baldwin, and Dr Wendy Heywood from the Biological Mass Spectrometry Research Centre at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health specialise in the analysis of protein, lipid, and metabolite biomarkers.