New centre to accelerate Parkinson’s research
Parkinson’s UK and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) join forces to establish a pioneering research centre.
A new £10m research centre is being set up 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. We’ll be investing £5m over 5 years to drive forward this vital research and so will the UK DRI.
By collaborating we are joining our expertise, support and networks to work towards a united goal to help identify new approaches to predicting Parkinson’s, alongside the development and testing of new treatments to prevent the onset, and slow or even reverse the progression of the condition.
This will complement our wider research programme as part of an integrated approach to finding better treatments for Parkinson’s and ensuring research is shaped by the Parkinson’s community.
An international search for a Director is now underway. The full recruitment pack is available on the UK DRI website.
Finding new treatments
Parkinson’s results from the loss of neurons in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra, responsible for producing the chemical dopamine, which acts as a messenger between the parts of the brain and nervous system that help control and coordinate body movements. As these neurons deteriorate and the levels of dopamine reduce, the symptoms of Parkinson’s appear.
Although the symptoms can be managed with medication and therapies, there are currently no treatments available that slow, stop, or prevent the underlying cause of the condition. The new centre will play a pivotal role in driving research to develop new treatments that will tackle Parkinson’s at its root cause.
Nicky Parsons, who has Parkinson’s and works closely with us as a research volunteer, said:
"As someone living with Parkinson’s, I know firsthand the challenges it brings, which is why I am so passionate about research and how important it is. More funding and partnerships like these means more hope. I hope for better treatments, a better quality of life, and one day a cure. Every step forward in research makes a real difference, not just for me but for my family, my friends, and everyone affected by Parkinson’s.”
What is the UK DRI?
The UK DRI is the UK’s leading research institute for dementia and related, neurodegenerative conditions, including Parkinson’s. The mission of the UK DRI is to transform the lives of people affected by neurodegenerative conditions, by discovering the causes of neurodegeneration, developing new tools and treatments, and delivering solutions to maintain brain health in an ageing society.
What does this new partnership mean?
Professor David Dexter, Director of Research, said:
"Partnering with the UK DRI to form a new centre dedicated to Parkinson’s is an exciting opportunity to increase dedicated research capacity in the UK. By harnessing the combined resources of the UK DRI and Parkinson’s UK, I’m confident that the new centre will accelerate the discovery of the causes of Parkinson’s, catalyse drug development and improve the effectiveness of clinical trials, and ultimately improve the lives of people affected by Parkinson’s.
"The new Parkinson’s Research Centre will form a component of our integrated approach to developing better treatments and cures for Parkinson’s, sitting alongside our grants programmes, the Parkinson’s Virtual Biotech, data and biosamples from our longitudinal cohorts, the Brain Bank and Landmark multi-omics project."
Professor Patrick Chinnery, Executive Chair of the Medical Research Council, said:
"As the UK DRI’s leading funder, we welcome its partnership with Parkinson’s UK and the creation of the new Parkinson's Research Centre. To develop effective treatments for degenerative brain diseases we need to better understand how the brain processes malfunction. What we learn from one neurodegenerative condition could help us find treatments for another, so bringing all this additional expertise together with the world-class research at UK DRI should help us to accelerate towards finding treatments for Parkinson's."
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