Titled 'Meeting the challenge of dementia', the report showcases DPUK activity across a number of key areas:
- Addressing the challenge presented by dementia to societies around the world in the 21st century.
- Early detection of disease through innovative platforms like the DPUK Data Portal and DPUK's imaging and stem cell networks.
- Matching public volunteers with the right dementia studies and trials.
- Experimental medicine studies to illuminate the cellular and neurological mechanisms behind dementia.
- Collaboration with industry, third sector and academic partners around the world.
Introducing the report, Professor John Gallacher, Director of DPUK, writes: 'Dementia research is changing, and Dementias Platform UK (DPUK) is at the forefront of these changes. The global growth in cases of dementia has accelerated the search for new treatments, but new approaches are needed if the search is to be successful. DPUK brings together academic, industry, and third-sector partners to bridge the gap between mechanism discovery in the laboratory and successful drug trials by developing innovative solutions to help human experimental studies become faster and better.
'The goal of DPUK is to better understand the complexities of dementia in humans, so that drug trials will succeed and we can reduce the failure rates. This enterprise is globally important, and DPUK welcomes collaboration from scientists, wherever they may be, so that dementia will no longer be the blight on humanity that it is today.'
Professor Gallacher added: 'We are thankful to all of our supporters across a host of sectors who have helped us carry out and amplify our activities over the past six years. Dementia is one of our biggest public health challenges, but by continuing to work together we can make further inroads in tackling this condition and reducing its impact on societies around the world.'
Read the full report, 'Meeting the challenge of dementia: DPUK report 2020'.