UK Government holds dementia research event

As part of the Prime Minister’s Challenge on Dementia, the event will highlight the unique offer the UK can make to the health industry as it researches new ways to tackle the condition.

Over 150 global leaders from research, charities, biotech and pharmaceutical backgrounds will attend the invite-only event (e.g. Wellcome Trust, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society).

The UK’s world class research universities, the power of the NHS’ unique patient data, and the varied sources of funding available will be discussed at the event.

Care and Support Minister Norman Lamb said that whilst the UK wants to be a world leader in dementia research, he realises that real progress can only be made by global collaboration.

Bold steps towards boosting dementia research are being made by bringing the industry together to discuss how the UK's unique research resources can make a difference, he added.

Lamb said governments need to take action towards this global problem, as by 2050 an estimated 115 million people worldwide will be affected by dementia, including a possible 1.7 million in the UK.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said, "We are all facing an unprecedented health challenge from dementia as the population ages, but the challenge of finding effective treatments is one we cannot under-estimate."

Dr Eric Karran, Director of Research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, the UK’s leading dementia research charity, said the UK has some of the world's leading dementia research scientists. The key is to match that brain power with the right environment for research to thrive.

Attendees at the event will discuss the challenges of dementia research, the barriers faced by the industry, and how the UK can respond.