A RENOWNED Belgian neuroscientist is to head the new £250 million UK Dementia Research Institute (DRI) which will put Britain at the cutting edge of science aimed at combating brain diseases.
Professor Bart De Strooper has spoken of his hopes for a “paradigm shift” in the way neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s are diagnosed and treated.
The professor was appointed director of the Institute after a global search for talent led by the Medical Research Council.
Based at University College London (UCL), he will run a large team of scientists operating from several regional centres across the UK.
The UK DRI, funded by the MRC and dementia charities Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK, is due to start operating towards the end of next year.
It will tackle Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s with a radical joined-up approach to connect researchers working in widely different fields.
Prof De Strooper is currently in charge of the Laboratory for the Research of Neurodegenerative Diseases at the University of Leuven, Belgium.
While genetics and imaging technology have transformed scientists’ understanding of what causes Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, there are still no treatments available that can halt or slow their destructive progress.
Prof De Strooper said: “Right now, our understanding of these diseases is not dissimilar to what we knew, or thought we knew, about cancer several decades ago.
“What we need is a paradigm shift in the way we think about dementias. Just as we realised that a whole range of factors is responsible for how cancers occur and progress in an individual, we now need to take a more holistic view of dementia and accept that a wide range of approaches may be needed in order to be successful.
“We have a huge amount of discovery science to do – and I want to see real surprises.”
Dementia affects an estimated 835,000 people in the UK, most of whom suffer from Alzheimer’s.
The UK DRI will function as a multi-centre network with a “hub” at UCL. Locations of the centres are expected to be announced next spring.
UCL president and provost Professor Michael Arthur said: “We have both the ambition and ability to make a difference and meet the challenge of this most pressing of global public health problems.
“Our vision for a DRI is a truly national asset that facilitates exchanges of ideas, people and resources between groups, disciplines and centres.”
Jeremy Hughes, chief executive of Alzheimer’s Society, said: “We’re incredibly excited about what Professor De Strooper will bring to the DRI as the new director given his wealth of experience and bold vision.
“People affected by dementia were at the heart of the decision to put him in post and are very optimistic about this world-leading institute that will transform the treatment, care and prevention of dementia.”
Alzheimer’s Research UK chief executive Hilary Evans said: “Today is a significant day for the UK DRI, with the vision for a world-leading national institute in dementia research starting to become a reality.
“The UK DRI will become a tour de force for UK dementia science, bolstering existing research efforts through multi-disciplinary approaches that tackle the condition from different angles.
“Alzheimer’s Research UK has already worked closely with Prof De Strooper in his role as academic advisor to our UCL-based Drug Discovery Institute and we are delighted he will be leading the work of the UK DRI.
“Sustained high-level funding for research is vital to drive the advances that will change the lives of people with dementia.”
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