One small step for man, one giant leap for dementia research
The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) has taken a huge leap forward with six of the UK leading research universities recently being awarded with centre status. These new additions lay the foundations for a research community of more than 400 researchers dedicated to addressing the challenge of combatting dementia.
A supplemental £20 million of funding will be provided to the initial UK DRI funding — £55 million — by the institutions hosting centres. This financing will be used to get the institute up and running.
“The shared vision between the centres will be at the heart of the UK DRI’s success, and this creativity at the borders will lead us to truly understand dementias and how they progress,” said Professor Bart De Strooper, director of the UK DRI. “We selected the centres based on innovative, excellent science, evidence of strong leadership, the alignment of goals with the UK DRI as a whole, and the ability to grow and collaborate as the institute gathers pace.”
Dr Rob Buckle, chief science officer at the MRC, explained that the UK DRI is amassing the scientists offering the most promising research into dementia. “The six centres that will form the core of the institute were recognised for their outstanding knowledge and capabilities across the dementias, but most importantly their commitment to work with colleagues old and new, and far and wide, to gain fresh new insights into the disease,” he added.
New molecular and cellular mechanisms potentially responsible for neurodegenerative brain diseases will be a focus of the investigations carried out by the UK DRI research teams. They will also explore ways in which the brain’s natural defence mechanisms can be manipulated as they identify and test new and existing drugs and treatments. Additionally, they will research the role of metabolism, sleep and bacteria in the gut, which are increasingly implicated in determining the likelihood of developing dementia.
“Dementia affects millions of people around the world, but through greater understanding we can make significant steps forward to improve lives,” stated Jo Johnson, science minister. “[This] announcement of the institute’s centre locations demonstrates the UK’s existing wealth of knowledge and research expertise, and the leadership role we can take in developing new treatments to tackle this disease. This is exactly the type of project our Industrial Strategy will build on to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global science.”
The UK DRI, a joint £250 million investment into dementia research, was established by the MRC, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK in response to the government’s 2020 challenge on dementia. The newly announced centres are the University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, the University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King’s College London.