Government to invest £375 million in neurodegenerative disease research
People living with neurodegenerative diseases could live longer, healthier lives due to innovative new research, following a government commitment to invest £375 million over the next 5 years.
At least £50 million will be made available specifically for research to help find a cure for MND – a condition that affects the brain and nerves and affects 5,000 people in the UK. New, innovative projects will help researchers to better understand the disease and its related conditions, develop and test treatments and improve care for those living with MND.
The full £375 million investment will fund projects into a range of diseases such as Pick’s Disease, Fronto-temporal dementia, wernicke-korsakoff, Parkinson’s disease dementia, Lewy Body dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment, improving our understanding while searching for new treatments.
For MND, a new NIHR research unit will be set up to co-ordinate research applications for the new funding, encouraging more innovative studies with the ultimate goal of finding a cure.
The NIHR has also awarded a prestigious Research Professorship to leading MND researcher and NIHR Devices for Dignity Theme Lead, Professor Chris McDermott. The award will focus on improving care for people with MND, bolstering leadership in this area of research, and strengthening the design of clinical trials to help more people with the disease take part.
As well as the funding for research into neurodegenerative diseases, a new MND partnership will be formed to pool expertise and resources across the research community to accelerate the delivery of new treatments. The partnership, backed by £4 million, is co-funded by:
- the NIHR
- UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
- Life Arc
- MND Association
- My Name’5 Doddie Foundation
Researchers can apply for funding via the NIHR and UKRI websites.
For more information visit the gov.uk website
