17
April
2018
|
12:32
Europe/London

Greater Manchester Dementia Research Centre opened by Mayor Andy Burnham

The launch of the new Greater Manchester Dementia Research Centre (GMDRC) marks a landmark new initiative aiming to make Greater Manchester a centre of excellence for NHS research that could one day cure dementia.

The Centre is the first of its kind in the Northwest of England and has been made possible through funding, infrastructure and support from key NHS partners who are leading the fight against dementia. They include:

  • Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH) – the leading provider of mental health services in Greater Manchester and one of the most research-active mental health trusts in the country.
  • National Institute for Health Research, Clinical Research Network, Greater Manchester (CRN GM) – one of the leading networks for dementia clinical research in the UK.
  • Greater Manchester and Eastern Cheshire Strategic Clinical Networks – which provide strategic leadership and advice to improve health and care services for people living with dementia in the region.

GMDRC was officially launched on Monday 16 April 2018. Mayor Andy Burnham spoke about dementia in Greater Manchester and the importance of the new unit. Professor Craig Ritchie from the University of Edinburgh 'Centre for Dementia Prevention' presenated a lecture...'A dementia free Future: what NHS research can contribute’.

More than 30,0000 people in Greater Manchester are living with dementia and, due to the chronic progressive nature of the condition, will do so for many years to come. There is currently no cure for the disease and existing medications can only treat some of the symptoms.

To discover and licence treatments to combat dementia, there is an urgent need to undertake more clinical research studies. The centre will be a focus of clinical research activity for dementia by strengthening existing partnerships and seeking out new collaborations across a wide range of disciplines and expertise. It will allow the existing strong research portfolio to grow further, offering people with dementia and their families even more opportunities to access cutting edge treatments and shape future care.

Iracema Leroi, Professor of Psychiatry of Aging and Dementia with the University of Manchester and co-director of the new centre, said: “This is an exciting time for clinical dementia research and we are in a prime position to provide world-class research opportunities for the people of Greater Manchester.”

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