Capital award for UK DRI at University College London

Alongside significant co-investment from University College London, the expected outcome of this funding is the concluded refurbishment of three wings in UCL’s Cruciform building to establish an Interim Hub of the UK DRI with capacity for 100 researchers and full occupancy expected by March 2018..
Additionally, £2.5m 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 8 programmes initially, 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.

The aim of this award is to support University College London with capital investment for setting-up of the interim hub of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) centres; in particular, the capital required for building, refurbishment and the procurement of equipment.

At present, 8 programmes have been selected, planned for the UK DRI at University College London and with scientific and operational leadership provided by its director, Professor Bart De Strooper. The project at University College London will involve refurbishment of three wings in UCL’s Cruciform building to establish an Interim Hub of the UK DRI with capacity for 100 researchers and full occupancy expected by March 2018. This is separate to the final hub location of the UK DRI at UCL, at Queen Square House, but will act as the hub location until 2022 (when those works would be complete).

The approach of the institute as a whole, of which the UK DRI at University College London forms a core part as the central hub, 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 University College London plans to look at the linking molecular pathway dysfunction with genetic and lifecourse factors; Axonal transport; Single cell analyses of gene expression & biological pathways in AD; New biomarkers to monitor disease progression.. Funding to these science programmes is provided separately.