£9 million has been provided to establish three Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs) which will support nearly 90 students over five years to enter dementia research. Besides Newcastle, the centres will also be set up at Manchester University and Queen Mary University London.
The Centres will focus on building knowledge and understanding in areas that have been historically underfunded. This includes Lewy body dementia which is also the focus of the NIHR Newcastle BRC Dementia, Mental Health and Neurodegeneration theme co-led by Professor John-Paul Taylor. Other theme principle investigators like Dr Daniel Erskine and Dr Paul Donaghy will be key members of the Newcastle DTC.
Professor John-Paul Taylor said:
“The amazing support of Alzheimer’s Society for our DTC presents a huge opportunity which means that we can develop a critical mass of highly motivated researchers united around our mission to improve the lives of people living with Lewy body dementia and related conditions. “By bringing together experts from various fields who will work with and support our students, we’ll generate new ideas and diverse approaches that can accelerate discoveries and translate into real-world healthcare improvements for people living with dementia”
“The amazing support of Alzheimer’s Society for our DTC presents a huge opportunity which means that we can develop a critical mass of highly motivated researchers united around our mission to improve the lives of people living with Lewy body dementia and related conditions.
“By bringing together experts from various fields who will work with and support our students, we’ll generate new ideas and diverse approaches that can accelerate discoveries and translate into real-world healthcare improvements for people living with dementia”
Lewy body dementia is one of the most common forms of dementia with very challenging symptoms for those with the condition and their loved one and yet it is not well understood. The Newcastle centre will focus on understanding the underlying causes of the condition, developing technology to track its progression, improving its diagnosis and care as well as supporting the design of clinical trials into this under researched disease.
Currently only one in five dementia PhD students go on to stay in dementia research, often due to underfunding and the challenging nature of academic careers.
The new Alzheimer’s Society DTCs will provide PhD students with unique access to activity across the centres – widening their options for peer support, networking, knowledge sharing, training, and equipment. This has previously shown to have a powerful effect in helping to support PhD students to continue their careers in dementia research.
Newcastle University's Centre for Transformative Neuroscience pledged £150,000 from the Newcastle Neuroscience Fund to support an additional studentship for the DTC into Lewy body dementia.
Dr Daniel Erskine, Alzheimer's Research UK Senior Fellow and member of the NIHR Newcastle BRC Dementia, Mental Health and Neurodegeneration theme said:
"This Centre is a major investment in Lewy body dementia research and will help accelerate research efforts into understanding this common but under-studied form of dementia. Our Centre at Newcastle University builds on decades of expertise in this condition and will enable us to aid the development of a new generation of Lewy body dementia researchers. “We are so grateful to the Alzheimer's Society, in addition to the Lewy Bodies Society and Newcastle Neuroscience Fund, for this unprecedented investment into Lewy body dementia research"
"This Centre is a major investment in Lewy body dementia research and will help accelerate research efforts into understanding this common but under-studied form of dementia. Our Centre at Newcastle University builds on decades of expertise in this condition and will enable us to aid the development of a new generation of Lewy body dementia researchers.
“We are so grateful to the Alzheimer's Society, in addition to the Lewy Bodies Society and Newcastle Neuroscience Fund, for this unprecedented investment into Lewy body dementia research"
Professor Adrian Rees, Director of the Centre for Transformative Neuroscience at Newcastle University, said:
"It is fantastic that Newcastle has been chosen as one of the three new DTCs supported by Alzheimer’s Society. It is vital that we train more young researchers to tackle this devastating condition. "Congratulations to Professor John-Paul Taylor and the whole DTC team. The Centre for Transformative Neuroscience is delighted that we could demonstrate our commitment to this exciting initiative and help secure the outcome by giving an additional studentship to the DTC supported by the Newcastle Neuroscience Fund."
"It is fantastic that Newcastle has been chosen as one of the three new DTCs supported by Alzheimer’s Society. It is vital that we train more young researchers to tackle this devastating condition.
"Congratulations to Professor John-Paul Taylor and the whole DTC team. The Centre for Transformative Neuroscience is delighted that we could demonstrate our commitment to this exciting initiative and help secure the outcome by giving an additional studentship to the DTC supported by the Newcastle Neuroscience Fund."
More about Alzheimer’s Society