Dementia research to get £49.9million funding boost

brain scans on a computer Head of clinical trials at the UCL Dementia Research Centre, Dr Cath Mummery, has been announced as the Director of a new network of dementia trial sites across the country. The government authorised £49.9 million of new funding to build the network, in the hope of allowing more people with dementia in the UK the opportunity to take part in research and help accelerate the development of new treatments. The network will be coordinated by UCLH and will bring together partners from across the country to built capacity and expertise in early phase dementia trial sites. This will offer people with dementia the chance to take part in early phase clinical trials irrespective of where they live and widen access to a larger, more diverse population. Dr Mummery (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology and UCLH consultant neurologist) said: "We are at a historic point in dementia research with disease-modifying therapies emerging. We must seize momentum, working across the UK with partners and industry, world class researchers, and patient representatives to build expertise, capacity and support in a unified network of trial sites." Dr Nick McNally, Managing Director of Research at UCL and UCLH, said: "Utilising our world class infrastructure at the UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and Clinical Research Facility we have already established an exciting portfolio of clinical trials in dementia.