University of Manchester secures £24 million funding to tackle dementia

The University of Manchester has been awarded £24 million to tackle dementia, improve clinical sample testing and improve our understanding of basic cell biology.

The funding for the University is part of a total package of £230 million designed to support innovation in clinical research across three areas – stratified medicine, dementia and single cell functional genomics.

Manchester has been successful in all three areas of the new scheme, overseen by the Medical Research Council (MRC), including an individual award of £13 million to set up a Clinical Proteomics Centre.

This new facility will be able to measure many proteins within a sample – such as blood, urine, or from tissue such as a tumour biopsy – in a single step.

In addition, measuring the effects of these drugs will, in the future, help patients by reducing side effects and making it more likely that a patient will benefit from a particular treatment.

A further £6 million of capital funding has been awarded to Manchester as part of the UK Dementia Platform (UKDP). The UKDP is a radically new approach to dementia research.

The third award of £5 million will set up the Manchester Single Cell Research Centre (SCRC).

Professor Ian Jacobs, vice-president and dean of the University of Manchester’s Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, said: “These awards reflect the breadth of expertise within the University and the way we have organised our research effort to best take advantage of them.

“They will allow our researchers to work on new solutions to some of the biggest health and medical problems in outstanding research facilities.”

Chancellor George Osborne said: “The funding will go to 23 truly innovative projects from across the UK today that represent the best of British ingenuity and scientific exploration.

“The Government, charities, universities and industry will be working together to advance our knowledge in combatting the biggest medical challenges of our time.”

For more information about the overall funding announcement, please visit the MRC website.