Minister visits UK DRI ahead of reconfirming government’s commitment to the Dementia Mission

We were delighted to welcome Nus Ghani MP, Minister for Industry and Investment Security, to the UK DRI last week, to showcase a range of our research to tackle dementia.

Ghani visited the UK DRI Imperial and Care Research and Technology centres, where she spoke to UK DRI scientists at all levels about their work to find new diagnostics and treatments for dementia, understand the mechanisms that drive it, and transform the way we provide care and conduct clinical trials.

The visit came in advance of today’s announcement from the government, recommitting to the Dame Barbara Windsor Dementia Mission, as part of delivering on its manifesto commitment to double dementia research funding to £160m per year by 2024/25.

The government will invest £95m into the national Dementia Mission, which will boost the number and speed of clinical trials and innovative research projects in dementia and neurodegeneration.

Prof Bart De Strooper, Director of the UK DRI, said:

“We were delighted to welcome Minister Ghani to the UK DRI last week.

Dementia presents a formidable scientific challenge, but today’s announcement confirms the UK is ready to meet it. The government’s dementia mission – alongside its unprecedented investment in 2017 to create the UK Dementia Research Institute – will solidify the UK as the best place in the world to conduct dementia research.

This is an investment in our future: UK science is essential for growth, economic stability, and our health. UK DRI scientists are already making huge strides to fill the knowledge gap in dementia and find desperately needed treatments. The dementia mission will bring us another step closer.”

Article published: 28 November 2022