We are thrilled to announce a new partnership with pharmaceutical company Lilly, which will see us work together to identify new potential treatments for dementia.
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A team of researchers led by Dr Marc-David Ruepp, Group Leader from UK DRI at King’s College London have uncovered a new role for RNA in the development of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Their discovery provides the molecular basis for a disease cascade that is initiated by the ALS-linked protein FUS and could serve as a platform from which to generate new therapeutics for those living with the condition.
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It’s been over a century since the discovery of Alzheimer’s disease, the most common form of dementia, and yet we are still without drugs that can slow or halt the condition that afflicts millions worldwide. While we have seen huge strides made in other major health challenges that face society, such as cancer, therapeutic solutions still remain elusive for dementia, which is now the leading cause of death in the UK. To pull apart the issue, we sat down with Professor Karen Duff to find out more about the obstacles facing the dementia field, her research into the fundamental biology behind the diseases, and where we go from here.
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With each passing decade, we are discovering more about the diseases that present immense health challenges to our society. Although brilliant ideas and people are core to these developments, the advancement of technology has played a major role and allowed us to drill down into the complexities that surround these conditions. To take full advantage of these tools, a co-ordinated approach is required to ensure all researchers have access to the equipment and expertise they need. We caught up with Dr Sam Jackson, Tools and Technology Platform Manager at UK DRI, to find out more about how technology will form a key component of the institute’s strategy going forward.
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We are proud to announce that nine UK DRI researchers have featured in this year’s Highly Cited Researcher 2020 list from Clarivate. The annual ranking identifies researchers who have demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade.
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We are excited to announce that the UK DRI has appointed independent medical research charity LifeArc to provide expertise to accelerate the translation of our researchers’ discoveries into treatments that will transform the lives of those affected by dementia.
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Registration and abstract submission are now open for British Neuroscience Association’s (BNA) Festival of Neuroscience (BNA2021), taking place virtually from 12-15 April 2021. The UK DRI is delighted to join forces with BNA as Festival Partner – presenting the perfect opportunity to bring together the wider dementia research and neuroscience communities.
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A team of researchers from the UK DRI have, for the first time, been able to accurately predict the extent of chronic neurodegeneration in people who have experienced traumatic brain injury, using an advanced type of MRI scanning. The results could help identify suitable candidates for clinical treatment trials, with the aim of preventing dementia post-injury.
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Earlier this month, our annual conference brought together UK DRI researchers, support staff and students to share scientific progress. Now in its third year, Connectome is designed to align the institute’s vision, encourage new collaborations and spark ideas that take our research to the next level.
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Over the past decade, advances in genetic technology have allowed scientists to investigate human disease at an unprecedented level, bringing the prospect of new and effective treatments closer than ever before. One researcher taking advantage of these new opportunities is Dr Nathan Skene, Group Leader at UK DRI at Imperial, who is using cutting-edge genetic and statistical approaches to gain greater understanding of the cell types responsible for dementia. We caught up with Nathan to find out more about his research, how genetics is revolutionising our understanding of disease and his hope for treatments in the future.
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The British Neuroscience Association (BNA) and UK DRI, as Festival Partner, are excited to announce a line-up of top international plenary speakers for BNA2021 Festival of Neuroscience taking place virtually from 12-15 April 2021. For the UK DRI’s scientific stream ‘Ageing and dementia’, UK DRI Director Prof Bart De Strooper, will be delivering a plenary lecture on the cellular phase of Alzheimer’s disease.
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Dr Marieke Hoekstra is a Research Associate studying the mechanisms underlying the association between dementia and sleep/circadian disturbances. She joined the UK DRI at Imperial in May 2019 and is part of Marco Brancaccio's research group. In this Q&A, Xiaoqi Zhu, a PhD student based in the lab of Dr Nir Grossman, speaks to Marieke about her career so far, her research into sleep and dementia, and new techniques in her field of research.
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We are today excited to launch our brand-new UK DRI Portal to facilitate the sharing of information, news and events across the institute. The Portal, an intranet for all UK DRI staff, will sit at the centre of the recently rolled-out Research Collaboration Service - a suite of cloud-based software platforms designed to digitally unite researchers and support staff across the seven research centres.
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We are delighted to announce a new partnership with the cognitive and behavioural neuroscience research initiative, BrainsCAN, to advance our understanding of higher cognitive processing in rodents through novel touchscreen technology and methods. The knowledge gained has the potential to assist our development of treatments for dementia.
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UK DRI is thrilled to announce that Group Leader Dr Tim Bartels, UK DRI at UCL, has been awarded funding to test a promising new biomarker for Parkinson’s disease. Working collaboratively with Eisai, one of the world’s leading research based pharmaceutical companies, a newly hired postdoctoral researcher will build on preliminary work from the group with the aim of improving diagnosis of the condition.
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On World Alzheimer’s Day, 21 September 2020, the UK DRI acknowledges all those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia. Our 600+ researchers across our seven sites are working hard to uncover the causes of dementia and identify promising treatments.
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The UK DRI team behind a high-throughput robotic coronavirus testing platform that was developed in just nine days in April, have made the full details of their setup and workflow available to others, in an effort to support the scaling-up of testing capacity across the UK.
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Our community is deeply saddened to hear that Professor Peter Davies has passed away after a long battle with cancer. UK DRI colleagues have been sharing tributes and memories of working with Peter.
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A team of researchers, led by Group Leader Dr Nir Grossman, UK DRI at Imperial, has been awarded $1.5 million by the USA-based Alzheimer's Association’s Part the Cloud fund, to accelerate the application of a new non-invasive deep brain stimulation therapy for people with Alzheimer’s disease.
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Researchers led by Prof Caleb Webber, Group Leader at UK DRI at Cardiff, have studied the genes of more than 6,000 cells from a brain region called the substantia nigra, which is damaged in Parkinson’s disease. The team found that genes associated with increased risk of developing the condition were more active in dopaminergic neurons, suggesting that these cells should be targeted for future therapeutic intervention.
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