We fund world class researchers to unpick causes and understand the complexities of the diseases that cause dementia.
Understand
By increasing our understanding of that changes in the brain that cause dementia, research will get us to a cure.
To advance this mission, Alzheimer’s Research UK became a founding funder of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI). Made up of seven centres across the UK, dementia researchers work together like never before towards a shared vision of changing the outlook for people living with dementia.
To make this long-term investment possible, Alzheimer’s Research UK joined forces with the Medical Research Council and Alzheimer’s Society. First announced in 2015, the UK DRI is now home to over 700 researchers from a range of disciplines.
This landmark investment in dementia research supports the people and ideas inspiring our search to find life-changing treatments for dementia.
Current projects and initiatives
Understanding brain circuits underpinning hallucinations in dementia with Lewy bodies
Researchers at the University College London aim to understand the mechanisms underpinning visual hallucinations in both dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) and Parkinson’s disease
Finding ways to boost resilience to Alzheimer’s disease
Researchers from the University of Oxford will investigate how and why some people are ‘resilient’ to developing dementia to find new treatment targets.
Investigating how mutations affect brain inflammation in frontotemporal dementia
Researchers at King’s College London are unpicking how mutations in specific proteins affect brain inflammation in frontotemporal dementia.
Investigating how our brain cells speak in frontotemporal dementia
Researchers are looking at common pathways that affect our brain cells in frontotemporal dementia and motor neurone disease to find new drug targets
Is a type of fat responsible for damage in the brain in dementia with Lewy bodies?
Dr Daniel Erskine from Newcastle University is investigating the role of a type of fat, called sphingolipids, in dementia with Lewy bodies.
Can boosting chemical messaging in the brain help people with early-stage dementia with Lewy bodies?
Researchers at Newcastle University will study how a drug affects people in early stages of dementia with Lewy bodies.
Understanding the role of metal particles in Alzheimer’s and their potential for diagnosis and treatment
Researchers at Keele University will develop ways to ‘see’ iron in the brain and explore how metals could be used as treatment targets and indicators of Alzheimer’s disease.
What happens when the barrier between blood vessels and brain cells breakdowns in Alzheimer’s disease?
Researchers are investigating whether the changes in cell metabolism at the barrier between blood vessels and brain cells contributes to brain degeneration.
