Marking a pivotal moment in brain health research, the UK DRI has united with Parkinson’s UK to establish a new £10m research centre dedicated to better understanding the causes of Parkinson’s and finding new treatments to prevent, halt, and ultimately find cures for the condition.
The new centre will recruit and bring together leading Parkinson’s researchers, enabling them to benefit from the world-class environment at the UK DRI. Parkinson’s UK will bring additional support, including access to the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech – their global drug discovery and development programme, in partnership with the Parkinson’s Foundation – support with patient and public involvement in research, and data and samples from the Parkinson’s UK Brain Bank.
The UK DRI and Parkinson’s UK will each invest £5 million over five years to drive forward vital research. The centre will identify new approaches to Parkinson’s prediction and prevention, alongside the development and testing of new treatments to prevent the onset, and slow or even reverse the progression of the condition.
Parkinson’s is one of the most common neurodegenerative conditions, affecting 153,000 people in the UK. By 2030, this figure is expected to increase to 172,000. It is a progressive neurological condition with a range of symptoms including tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement and postural instability. People with Parkinson’s may also experience non-movement related symptoms such as sleep disruption, pain, thinking and memory problems including related dementias, and mental health issues.
We’re excited to be partnering with Parkinson’s UK to establish this new centre dedicated to research into Parkinson’s. As the fastest growing neurological condition in the world, we urgently need to progress research to discover the causes of Parkinson’s, develop new treatments, and deliver solutions to support people to live well for longer.
Prof Siddharthan Chandran
Director & CEO
Credit: Molly Andrews | Author | UK DRI