To mark Dementia Action Week, we were delighted to welcome Alison Bennett MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Social Care and Vikki Slade MP, member of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Dementia to the UK DRI at King’s.
They were hosted by Centre Director Prof Jernej Ule and Prof Matthew Hoptof, Executive Dean, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London for a tour of the UK DRI labs and to hear from scientists about the future of dementia research.
During the visit Ms Bennett and Ms Slade met with researchers to discuss how using novel approaches to fundamental cell science was unlocking new opportunities to identify treatment targets and inform our understanding progression, enabling clinicians to intervene earlier with support.
During the visit, researchers discussed with Ms Bennett and Ms Slade discussed how novel approaches to fundamental cell science is unlocking new opportunities for treatment identification and how dementia progression, enabling clinicians to intervene earlier with support. They also spoke with data scientists using developments in AI to create more realistic human models to study progression of neurodegeneration.
Ms Bennett and Ms Slade discussed the transformative potential of blood and digital biomarkers to support early detection of neurodegenerative diseases and how
Reflecting on their visit, Vikki Slade MP and Alison Bennett MP said:
As we mark dementia action week, we need to build ways to diagnose, treat and care for people with dementia and neurodegenerative conditions. It was inspiring to visit the UK Dementia Research Institute at King’s and see the incredible research that is transforming our understanding of these conditions, paving the way for prevention-first models of care.
It was particularly fascinating to see the research at cellular level which is helping us to understand how things go wrong in the brain and also reiterates the importance of long-term funding for scientific research as well as funding for those conditions where a cure is imminent.
By supporting this groundbreaking research, we are investing in a future of healthy brain ageing, building toward therapies that slow or prevent onset and ensuring that families living with dementia have a better chance at help early on with a tailored more personal experience of care.
See Alison Bennett’s reflection on the visit here.
Prof Jernej Ule, Centre Director, UK DRI at King’s said:
We were delighted to welcome Vikki Slade and Alison Bennett to the UK Dementia Research Institute at King’s during Dementia Action Week. Their visit highlighted the importance of collaborative research and innovation in transforming the outlook for people with dementia.
By studying the underlying biological processes and harnessing advances in data science we are building toward a future where we can predict risk, prevent onset and personalise care for everyone affected by dementia.
Prof Matthew Hoptof, Executive Dean, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience said:
We were delighted to welcome Vikki Slade MP and Alison Bennett MP to King’s College London and showcase our work as part of UK DRI. Collaboration is key to success and at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience we are proud to lead pioneering research connecting science to the clinic, leading to lifechanging discoveries for people living with dementia.