Throughout Newcastle University we have a well-developed, multi-disciplinary programme of dementia research
- Prof Louise Robinson
The record £1,680,224 grant, which will be awarded over five years, will enable expert researchers at the University to create a ‘Centre of Excellence’ focusing on key priority areas within dementia care research.
And the funding will also boost the number of researchers working in dementia care, with the aim of making the UK a world leader in the field.
Newcastle University is one on of three pioneering ‘Centres of Excellence’ to be created nationwide with the help of grants of up to £2m, the others being the University of Exeter and University College London. However, Alzheimer’s Society hopes to establish more in the future.
Louise Robinson, School Lead for Newcastle, Director of Newcastle University Institute for Ageing, Professor of Primary Care and Ageing, will lead an expert team to understand how to help people receive better support after a diagnosis.
They will examine whether receiving the support through ‘primary care’ routes such as GPs or community services will improve the support people receive. They believe this approach could reduce the so-called ‘postcode lottery’ where access to support through secondary care services such as memory clinics can vary depending on where a person lives.
Professor Robinson said: “Throughout Newcastle University we have a well-developed, multi-disciplinary programme of dementia research. We examine everything from the causes and potential cures of dementia, to the care models and societal changes that support people living with dementia, and their families.
“We want to address what resources are needed to provide a better quality of care, and how these can be successfully delivered; understanding the costs of this care against the long-term benefits.”
To find out more about Alzheimer’s Society’s research programme visit: www.alzheimers.org.uk/research
To find out more about dementia research at Newcastle University, visit: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/ageing/dementia/