Capital award for UK DRI at Imperial College London
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Alongside significant co-investment from Imperial College London, the expected outcome of this funding is the concluded refurbishment of a floor in the new Michael Uren with space for 64+ researchers. An interim solution at the Burlington Danes facility at Hammersmith campus is being used before completion of the final location at the Michael Uren, ready for occupancy by September 2019.
Additionally, £1.5m for procurement of capital equipment is being provided to assist the UK DRI in implementing its first scientific programmes (funding provided separately).
Together, the building and equipment will provide the location for, in the initial stages of 5 programmes, and then to grow significantly in number in subsequent years. The UK DRI as a whole will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by also promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts. The new institute has been established to lead the UK’s dementia research effort and forms a core part of achieving the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020.
Additionally, £1.5m for procurement of capital equipment is being provided to assist the UK DRI in implementing its first scientific programmes (funding provided separately).
Together, the building and equipment will provide the location for, in the initial stages of 5 programmes, and then to grow significantly in number in subsequent years. The UK DRI as a whole will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by also promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts. The new institute has been established to lead the UK’s dementia research effort and forms a core part of achieving the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia 2020.
Technical Summary
The aim of this award is to support Imperial College London with capital investment for setting-up of one of six UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) centres; in particular, the capital required for building, refurbishment and the procurement of equipment.
At present, 5 programmes have been selected planned for the UK DRI at Imperial College London and with scientific and operational leadership provided by its associate director, Professor Paul Matthews. The project at Imperial College London will involve refurbishment of a floor in the new Michael Uren with space for 64+ researchers. An interim solution at the Burlington Danes facility at Hammersmith campus is being used before completion of the final location at the Michael Uren, ready for eventual occupancy by September 2019.
The approach of the institute as a whole, of which the UK DRI at Imperial College London forms a core part, is to amplify and enhance, not replace, current dementia research efforts in the UK. The UK DRI will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by supplying vital new funding for research, coupled to promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts.
There is a gap in our knowledge of how the healthy brain functions and what leads to its degeneration. The UK DRI will fill this crucial gap that exists at the start of the dementia research journey. It will study the healthy brain and neurodegeneration in order to build new knowledge and understanding that will lead to new treatments. It will also proactively connect to existing clinical and population-level dementia initiatives – for example as being undertaken by the MRC Dementias Platform UK and through the NIHR TRC-D – to catalyse a unique national and strategic approach to confronting the dementia challenge.
In particular, the present research at the UK DRI at Imperial College London plans to look at the innovation theme, including: Individual variation in dementia within populations; Metabolic factors, microbiome and role of sleep; Glial-neuronal interactions; Novel bioelectronics technologies to modulate neurons and glia in sleep, neuroprotection and cognition Funding to these science programmes is provided separately.
At present, 5 programmes have been selected planned for the UK DRI at Imperial College London and with scientific and operational leadership provided by its associate director, Professor Paul Matthews. The project at Imperial College London will involve refurbishment of a floor in the new Michael Uren with space for 64+ researchers. An interim solution at the Burlington Danes facility at Hammersmith campus is being used before completion of the final location at the Michael Uren, ready for eventual occupancy by September 2019.
The approach of the institute as a whole, of which the UK DRI at Imperial College London forms a core part, is to amplify and enhance, not replace, current dementia research efforts in the UK. The UK DRI will help to cement the UK’s world-leading position by supplying vital new funding for research, coupled to promoting innovate approaches and forging much closer collaboration and integration of on-going UK research efforts.
There is a gap in our knowledge of how the healthy brain functions and what leads to its degeneration. The UK DRI will fill this crucial gap that exists at the start of the dementia research journey. It will study the healthy brain and neurodegeneration in order to build new knowledge and understanding that will lead to new treatments. It will also proactively connect to existing clinical and population-level dementia initiatives – for example as being undertaken by the MRC Dementias Platform UK and through the NIHR TRC-D – to catalyse a unique national and strategic approach to confronting the dementia challenge.
In particular, the present research at the UK DRI at Imperial College London plans to look at the innovation theme, including: Individual variation in dementia within populations; Metabolic factors, microbiome and role of sleep; Glial-neuronal interactions; Novel bioelectronics technologies to modulate neurons and glia in sleep, neuroprotection and cognition Funding to these science programmes is provided separately.
People |
ORCID iD |
Paul Matthews (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Alfaro-Almagro F
(2018)
Image processing and Quality Control for the first 10,000 brain imaging datasets from UK Biobank.
in NeuroImage
Bishop CA
(2018)
Semi-Automated Analysis of Diaphragmatic Motion with Dynamic Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Healthy Controls and Non-Ambulant Subjects with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
in Frontiers in neurology
Bishop CA
(2017)
Analysis of ageing-associated grey matter volume in patients with multiple sclerosis shows excess atrophy in subcortical regions.
in NeuroImage. Clinical
BRAINS (Brain Imaging In Normal Subjects) Expert Working Group
(2017)
Improving data availability for brain image biobanking in healthy subjects: Practice-based suggestions from an international multidisciplinary working group.
in NeuroImage
Calsolaro V
(2021)
Astrocyte reactivity with late-onset cognitive impairment assessed in vivo using 11C-BU99008 PET and its relationship with amyloid load.
in Molecular psychiatry
Climaco Pinto R
(2022)
Finding Correspondence between Metabolomic Features in Untargeted Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics Datasets.
in Analytical chemistry
Coffey S
(2017)
Protocol and quality assurance for carotid imaging in 100,000 participants of UK Biobank: development and assessment.
in European journal of preventive cardiology
Title | scFlow |
Description | Open source pipeline for automated scRNASeq analysis |
Type Of Material | Technology assay or reagent |
Year Produced | 2021 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Acceleration of analyses |
URL | https://nf-co.re/scflow |
Description | Biogen MiSL Study Collaboration |
Organisation | Biogen Idec |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Study design, analysis of data, interpretation |
Collaborator Contribution | Study design, interpretation, funding of scanning |
Impact | Ongoing |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Biogen MiSL Study Collaboration |
Organisation | Invicro |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Study design and clinical recruitment |
Collaborator Contribution | Conduct of PET and analysis |
Impact | Ongoing |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Biogen REM2 snRNASeq Collaboration |
Organisation | Biogen Idec |
Country | United States |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Ascertainment and sequencing of nuclei from TREM2var brains |
Collaborator Contribution | Bioinformatics for snRNASeq analysis |
Impact | Pending |
Start Year | 2019 |
Description | Edmond J Safra Foundation and Lily Safra |
Organisation | Edmond J Safra Foundation |
Country | Liechtenstein |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Continuing dialogue with a major funder for clinical neuroscience research |
Collaborator Contribution | Funding of my chair and junior research fellowships, two of which have been awarded to people who will become part of UK DRI |
Impact | All of my outputs since 2015 should be attributed |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | Nodthera Inflammasome Collaboration |
Organisation | NodThera |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Assessment of novel potential therapeutics |
Collaborator Contribution | Joint development of research design |
Impact | None yet |
Start Year | 2018 |