Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, one of Edinburgh Futures Institute’s research centres, has been selected to take part in the recently launched Dementia Challenge, a UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) programme backed by up to £80 million.
Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre is a partnership between the University of Edinburgh and Alzheimer Scotland.
The Dementia Challenge projects will test nine new technologies in the NHS, including faster MRI brain scans and a remote cognitive assessment, as part of a government drive to diagnose dementia faster.
The goal is for 92% of people to be diagnosed within 18 weeks of a referral, up from around 60% today with diagnosis often taking more than a year.
As one of the nine research projects selected across the UK, Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre are redesigning Scotland’s dementia diagnosis and treatment services to provide faster, better quality and more consistent diagnosis across the country, and ‘living labs’ to test new biomarkers and treatments.
The projects will undergo real-world testing and only get more funding by proving they’re working, speeding up the process of getting what works to patients.
Funded by the UK government through UK Research and Innovation’s Research and Development Missions Accelerator Programme (R&D MAP), it aims to help people and their families get an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of dementia, and to better understand what a dementia diagnosis means for their lives.
Read the full announcement on the UKRI website.
Find out more about Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre.
