Ahead of International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we spoke to Dr Emma Clayton (UK DRI at King’s), one of the UK DRI’s newest Emerging Leaders. She told us about how she first became inspired to pursue science, her current research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia, and her passion for public engagement.
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The Labour party has today announced its new life sciences sector plan, aimed at transforming the discovery and delivery of medical treatments. The strategy will promote innovation in the NHS, and seeks to increase R&D investment in the pharmaceutical sector by £10bn per year.
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A new study from Dr Gargi Banerjee, Prof John Collinge and colleagues at the UCL Institute of Prion Diseases has identified five cases of Alzheimer’s believed to have arisen from medical procedures performed decades earlier. The prospect of disease transmission between people is at first glance concerning, but what are the risks and how can they be mitigated?
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Dr Gregory Scott recently became a Group Leader at the UK DRI Centre for Care Research and Technology. A neurologist with a unique perspective, afforded by his background in computer science, his research combines engineering, neuroscience, and translational medicine. Here, Dr Scott discusses what inspired him to pursue neuroscience, why he wanted to become a UK DRI Group Leader, and his recently awarded NIHR Advanced Fellowship.
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A study led by Dr Emmanouil Metzakopian and Prof Matthew G. Holt has uncovered fresh insight into how different cell types in the brain are affected by Parkinson’s. The research, published in the journal Molecular Neurodegeneration, provides a valuable resource for better understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in the disease.
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A study led by Prof Payam Barnaghi and Alex Capstick (UK DRI Centre for Care Research & Technology) has used artificial intelligence (AI) to develop a new method for early detection of urinary tract infection (UTI) in people affected by dementia. The research, published in the journal npj Digital Medicine, could minimise preventable hospital admissions by enabling infections to be treated before complications arise.
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We were delighted to host the Minister for Health and Secondary Care, Andrew Stephenson CBE MP, on Friday 5 January for a tour of the UK DRI at Edinburgh.
A study led by Dr Claire Durrant (UK DRI at Edinburgh) reveals fresh insight into the role of the protein tau in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. The research, published in the journal Acta Neuropathologica, could have important implications for the development of future therapeutics.
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Dr Julija Krupic is the UK DRI at UCL’s newest Group Leader. A physicist by training, her research now focuses on a network in the brain called the entorhinal hippocampal circuit, in the context of health and disease. Here, she discusses her new UK DRI programme and where she hopes her work will lead.
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We are pleased to announce a new strategic industry partnership with Ono Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Ono), alongside the funding of multiple projects. Delivering innovative research that translates into improvements in diagnosis and treatment of dementia is central to the mission of the UK DRI, and industry partnerships have a crucial role to play.
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A new study led by Dr Sam Barnes and Dr Carola Radulescu (UK DRI at Imperial) uncovers insight into the mechanisms underlying age-linked cognitive decline. The study, published in Nature Neuroscience, could unlock new potential therapeutic targets.
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It’s been another fantastic year for the UK DRI, with exciting partnerships, new faces joining the Institute and plenty of important scientific discoveries. Read on to explore some of our highlights from 2023.
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A recent multidisciplinary commentary authored by a diverse cross-institute team, led by the UK DRI's Vascular Theme in collaboration with the Dementias Platform UK Experimental Medicine Incubator, brings to light the increasingly recognized role of vascular contributions to dementia.
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An analysis co-authored by Prof Sarah Tabrizi (UK DRI at UCL) and Prof Edward Wild (Huntington’s Disease Centre, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) proposes using the disease-modifying drug tominerson to treat early-stage Huntington’s disease, following the early stopping of the GENERATION-HD1 phase 3 trial.
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When members of the public are actively engaged in research - whether through outreach events, participating in studies, or interacting with scientists - they get a first-hand look at the real-world human impact of scientific discoveries, and the life changing potential of research.
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Congratulations to Dr Cynthia Sandor (UK DRI at Cardiff) who has today been awarded a Future Leaders Fellowship from UK Research & Innovation (UKRI). Dr Sandor joins a cohort of 75 promising future leaders in research and innovation selected for fellowships in round seven of the billion-pound scheme.
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On Wednesday 29 November, we were delighted to welcome the Minister for Health and Secondary Care, Andrew Stephenson CBE MP, to visit the UK DRI Centre for Care Research and Technology, based at Imperial College London (White City Campus). The visit was hosted by Prof Siddharthan Chandran (UK DRI Director), Prof David Sharp (UK DRI Centre Director, Care Research & Technology), Prof Paul Freemont (UK DRI Group Leader, CR&T) and Prof Deborah Ashby (Interim Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London).
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This month, we invited industry partners and stakeholders to an exciting Translation Showcase event at the Science Gallery in London. It was a fantastic opportunity to hear directly from our Group Leaders about how they are translating their fundamental, discovery research into treatments and technologies for people affected by neurodegenerative diseases.
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Prof Paul Matthews will be stepping down as Centre Director of the UK DRI at Imperial on 7 April 2024. As founding Director of the UK DRI at Imperial, Prof Matthews led a multidisciplinary team of 120+ researchers, focused on unravelling the mechanisms underpinning dementia and developing innovative treatments to correct these detrimental changes in the brain.
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After six years as Chief Operating Officer of the UK DRI, Dr Adrian Ivinson is stepping down. Dr Ivinson has led the operations of the institute since it was established in 2017, overseeing day-to-day operations including compliance, communications, estates, research platforms, finances, tech transfer, partnerships and the central team.
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