NIHR hands multi-million dementia funding to top UK research institute

The NIHR has handed multi-million pound funding to UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI) to advance research and deliver new solutions for people living with or at risk of dementia. The funding will also cover the development of treatments for related neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s and motor neuron disease.

UKDRI will receive an initial £20m from NIHR. Also covered by the funding is training the next generation of “delivery scientists and health practitioners” in dementia, and new AI and data initiatives to accelerate the discovery of new therapies.

This investment will drive further cross-sector partnerships, helping position the UK as a world leader in innovation, discovery and translation for dementia and related neurodegenerative disorders.

Urgent need to capitalise

Almost a million people are currently living with dementia in the UK. But there are still no treatments available on the NHS to slow or stop the diseases that cause it.

With the UK’s ageing population, UKDRI says there is an urgent need to capitalise on scientific progress. This will help safeguard the nation’s health and protect public services. The number of dementia cases has been projected to rise to 1.4 million by the year 2040. This would be at a cost of £90bn per year to the economy. 

The new funding will also enable UKDRI to bring together rich human data from around the world. This will ensure research is representative of the global population. In turn, this will enable a deeper understanding of the diseases that cause dementia across diverse populations.

Professor Lucy Chappell, Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and Chief Executive Officer of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), said:

“With the UK’s aging population, dementia continues to be a crucial area of research in our country and it is essential we develop strategies to diagnose early and treat this disease effectively.

“The UK Dementia Research Institute is a global leader in this area and I’m proud that NIHR funding is going towards world-leading research into tools and therapeutics that will make a real, tangible difference to lives."