University to host £13m dementia research centre
CARDIFF has been chosen as the location for the UK’s biggest dementia research initiative. The £13m investment at Cardiff University is the biggest investment Wales has ever received for scientific study into dementia.
The aim is to find new ways to diagnose, treat, prevent and care for people with dementia.
There is a potential for a further £17m in research funding over the next five years.
Up to 60 researchers will be employed over the first five years and will focus on understanding how dementia works and on trying to diagnose it earlier.
As one of six UK centres, the new research centre in Wales will be a significant section of the newly launched UK Dementia Research Institute – a £250m initiative, funded by the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Professor Julie Williams, who is currently the chief scientific adviser to the Welsh Government and Professor of Neuropsychological Genetics at Cardiff University, will lead work at the new centre.
She said: “This centre at Cardiff University will provide a step change in our ability to understand these complex diseases and produce new treatments for future generations.
“I am enormously excited to be part of the leadership team for the UK Dementia Research Institute and to head a group of excellent and passionately committed scientists.”
Professor Colin Riordan, ViceChancellor of Cardiff University, added: “Dementia diagnosis rates in Wales are the worst in the UK, impacting on support for affected individuals and their families.
“Given this national context, and the global burden of dementia, Cardiff University has made this research a strategic priority.
“With the launch of the UK DRI at Cardiff University, we will build on this solid foundation to find new ways to combat dementia.”
The centre will be at the university’s Hadyn Ellis building, which is part of its innovation campus, on the city’s Maindy Road.
Science Minister Jo Johnson MP said the work done in Wales could transform lives across the globe.
He said: “Dementia affects millions of people around the world, but through greater understanding we can make significant steps forward to improve lives.
“Today’s announcement of the institute’s centre locations demonstrates the UK’s existing wealth of knowledge and research expertise, and the leadership role we can take in developing new treatments to tackle this disease. This is exactly the type of project our Industrial Strategy will build on to ensure the UK remains at the forefront of global science.”
The other centres will be at University College London, The University of Cambridge, The University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King’s College London.