Andrew McKechanie – The Patrick Wild Centre

Dr Andrew McKechanie is a Senior Clinical Research Fellow at The Patrick Wild Centre and a Consultant Psychiatrist in Intellectual Disability working in East Lothian.

My research principally relates to individuals with intellectual disabilities caused by identified genetic changes; and in particular fragile X syndrome and SYNGAP1-realted intellectual disability. Previously I have used brain-imaging and genetic techniques to try to identify the underlying neurobiology of these conditions.

BRAIN FUNCTION

andrewmchk — This is an example of data from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) through the brain of an individual with fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of intellectual disability. The coloured areas show the brain regions that are active while looking at a fearful face. We have used this technique to examine how brains of people with fragile X syndrome process information such as emotion and fear.

I am now collaborating with colleagues in genetics and public health to look at what we can learn from routinely-acquired clinical and administrative data to inform our understanding of the health, health needs and healthcare usage of individuals with identified forms of intellectual disability.

Email: andrew.mckechanie@ed.ac.uk

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