UK DRI Care Research & Technology programme appointed

Hot off the press we are delighted to announce that a major new ‘Care Research & Technology’ programme has been selected to soon join the UK DRI.

Over the past twelve months we have conducted an exhaustive search for a new Associate Director to lead a programme that will ask some fundamental questions about how to better understand and support people with dementia. A  bespoke committee was assembled, with an independent chair and strong representation from those outside of the UK DRI and close to patients. Four great candidates were interviewed over a two-day period, with lots of good ideas on how the UK DRI could complement but not duplicate the existing strong UK care research community via our explicit interest in new technology.

Following this careful and competitive process the committee were unanimous in their advice. Their recommendation was ratified by our independent Board of Trustees such that we are very happy to announce that the new UK DRI Associate Director for the UK DRI Care Research & Technology programme is Professor Dave Sharp of Imperial College London.

We welcome this new centre to the UK DRI family, bringing us to seven centres working together to combat dementia.  With a budget of £20 million over six years, the new Care Research & Technology programme will be fully integrated into the wider UK DRI, will benefit from our considerable resources and networks and, crucially, will embrace novel technologies and interdisciplinary approaches. 

We're committed to delivering impact in both the short and longer term. Whilst our basic-research focus continues to increase our understanding of dementia and how to treat it, this new programme has an exciting vision for how research can improve lives quicker, whilst also contributing to basic research.

We look forward to sharing details of the programme and its goals in the new year, but for now many congratulations to Dave and his team!