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UK DRI Care Research & Technology Centre officially opens its doors

In another milestone for the Institute, we marked the official launch of the UK DRI Care Research & Technology Centre this month – a multi-million pound research facility to improve the lives of people living with dementia now. Minister of State for Care and Mental Health, Gillian Keegan, joined trial participants, researchers, and partners at the opening event to unveil a plaque commemorating the occasion.

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Time capsule buried at future new home for UK DRI hub and UCL neuroscience

An Iceland plastic carrier bag, a Covid-19 vaccine vial and a piece of stainless steel have been buried in a time capsule of a new world-class centre for neuroscience at UCL, and the future home of the UK DRI hub, currently in construction on Grays Inn Road, London. The capsule was placed in the building’s foundations today (Thursday 19 May) as part of Dementia Action Week.

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Researchers develop new biomarker test to track success of therapy for neurodegenerative disease

Researchers led by Prof Adrian Isaacs (UK DRI Group Leader at UCL) have developed a way to monitor the success of therapies targeting the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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Two UK DRI researchers elected to the prestigious Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship

It is a pleasure to announce that Prof Karen Duff, UK DRI Centre Director at UCL, and Prof Siddharthan Chandran, UK DRI Group Leader at Edinburgh, have been elected to the Academy of Medical Sciences Fellowship for their outstanding research into neurodegenerative diseases.

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Director appointed to capitalise on innovations in informatics and data science

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Prof Caleb Webber as UK DRI Director of Data Science.

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Stressed Cells Offer Clues To Eliminating Aggregates

‘Stressed’ cells offer clues to eliminating build-up of toxic proteins in dementia

A study led by Dr Edward Avezov (UK DRI at Cambridge) has uncovered a new mechanism that might help prevent the build-up of tangles of proteins commonly seen in dementia.

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Smart-Kages: The automated and AI-assisted innovation set to transform animal behaviour experiments

The use of animals remains a vital feature of modern research, allowing scientists to model and interrogate key aspects of disease. There are however limitations when mapping animal biology and behaviour to humans, many of which are blamed for poor translation from pre-clinical research to the patient. A new company, Cambridge Phenotyping Ltd, aims to tackle several of the common issues plaguing rodent behavioural work, with their novel automated and AI-assisted ‘smart-Kage’ technology.

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New researcher joins Emerging Leader programme for bright young research talent

We are thrilled to announce a new Emerging Leader at the Institute: Dr Jing Qiu, based at the UK DRI at Edinburgh. Dr Qiu joins the 13 other talented upcoming scientists who were elected to the programme last year.

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New partnership with Astex Pharmaceuticals to accelerate progress in dementia research

We are delighted to announce a new strategic partnership with Astex Pharmaceuticals alongside the funding of two new projects.

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Landmark study reveals 42 new genes associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease

A major new international study involving UK DRI researchers has identified 75 genes associated with an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, including 42 new genes which had not previously been implicated in the condition.

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UK DRI founding funder update

An update to partnerships between UK DRI and its founding funders

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Welcoming a new Centre Director to UK DRI at King’s College London

It is a pleasure to announce that our new Centre Director for UK DRI at King’s is Prof Jernej Ule, an expert in RNA biology and its role in neurodegenerative diseases such as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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MP visits UK DRI: highlighting our research to uncover new treatments for dementia

We were delighted to welcome Jo Stevens MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Wales, to visit the UK DRI at Cardiff University last week.

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Technician Commitment: UK DRI pledges to champion the role of technicians in its research

We are pleased to become a signatory of the Technician Commitment, pledging to ensure recognition for the UK DRI’s technical communities.

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Scientists spend a week in parliament for Royal Society Pairing Scheme

Three UK DRI researchers took part in the 2022 Royal Society Pairing Scheme, an opportunity to gain first-hand experience of the inner workings of parliament and insight into how policy is shaped.

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UK DRI researchers join other leaders in call for ‘Dementia Medicines Taskforce’ and greater investment in dementia research

This week, UK DRI researchers joined other leading figures in the publication of two open letters, calling for the government to take action to accelerate progress in dementia research.

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UK DRI supports the Stick to Science campaign for European scientific collaboration

The UK DRI is proud to support the Stick to Science campaign – a pan-European coalition of scientists, universities and research institutes, calling for an open and inclusive research and innovation landscape in Europe that is free from political barriers.

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Exposure to Covid-19 linked to brain changes in regions related to smell

A new study involving UK DRI researchers has found that exposure to the Covid-19 virus can cause shrinkage and structural changes in areas of the brain that are known to be involved in smell.

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The tools to translate: An early career researcher perspective with Dr Wioleta Zelek

When studying a condition like dementia, we aim for our research to have a life-changing impact on people, often through the development of new treatments and technologies. We spoke to recently appointed UK DRI Emerging Leader and Race Against Dementia Fellow at Cardiff, Dr Wioleta Zelek, about her research journey and experiences of developing and patenting research tools.

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UK DRI pay tribute to Professor John Trojanowski

The UK DRI community is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Prof John Trojanowski, eminent neuropathologist at the Center for Neurodegenerative Research at University of Pennsylvania. Colleagues share their tributes and memories of John.

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