UK Dementia Research Institute

Hello Bluesky! 👋 We are the UK DRI, the UK's leading research institute transforming the lives of people affected by neurodegeneration 🧠 Find out more about our vision for a future prioritising healthy brain ageing for all 👉 buff.ly/42xTJCJ www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj3s...

Huge congratulations to Dr Wioleta Zelek (UK DRI at Cardiff) who has been awarded the Svar Complement Excellence Award 2026, recognising her work on how the complement system impacts neuroinflammatory & neurodegenerative conditions 👏 Read more 👉 www.svarlifescience.com/knowledge/co...

New research led by Dr Dorothea Böken and Prof Sir David Klenerman (UK DRI at Cambridge) reveals how the proteins associated with tau change as it forms increasingly large clumps in the brain. The study provides new insights into the molecular processes underlying Alzheimer's 👉 lnkd.in/eBRbGKZx

Announcing our plenary speakers for SCMND2027! View all of our confirmed speakers, Register, and Submit your abstract on SCMND.com SCMND2027: 19th-21st May 2027, Edinburgh, UK @ukdri.ac.uk #iPSC #neurodegeneration #organoids

What can recreating brain injury in the lab tell us about how cells respond? 🧠 A new study led by Associate Prof Mootaz Salman and Dr Luise Schlotterose reveals how repeated mild brain injury can leave support cells persistently altered & trigger damage to neurons. ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Two UK DRI-led projects are among nine to be tested in the NHS as part of efforts to speed up dementia diagnosis👏 Backed by £80M, the Dementia Challenge will accelerate the adoption of technologies that will support dementia diagnosis & predict disease progression👉 ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

A pleasure to welcome @sdoughtymp.bsky.social to UK DRI at Cardiff, showcasing the world-leading research taking place here in Wales to accelerate understanding and develop better diagnostics and treatments for everyone living with dementia.

⭐️The UK DRI at Imperial is hiring for a 3-year PhD studentship within Dr Cynthia Sandor’s group⭐️ The project will focus on 'Predicting Insulin Resistance from Blood Transcriptomes: A Peripheral Window onto Brain Insulin Resistance in Parkinson’s & Alzheimer’s Disease'. More info: 🔗 buff.ly/HJ2LiWw

⭐️ The UK DRI at UCL is hiring ⭐️ We are seeking a Centre Research Administrator to support the Centre Manager with high-quality operational and administrative support, helping to ensure the smooth running of the Centre. 🔗 www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/... @uclqsion.bsky.social

What role do supporting brain cells play in cognitive decline and dementia? 🧠 New research led by @mironlab.bsky.social finds cells that produce the protective coating around nerve fibres (oligodendrocytes) can become dysfunctional with age & may contribute to cognitive decline👉 lnkd.in/eWcnSfnf

We argue that understanding how NI crosstalk become dysregulated in NDD & how they might be restored offers powerful framework re: disease mechanisms & therapeutic opportunities. Thanks @chanzuckerberg.bsky.social and the pioneering neuroimmunologists at the CZI workshop for shaping our thinking!

What if we could give people with dementia a 'digital safety net' to help them stay living at home for longer? Minder, our flagship digital care platform, aims to do just that. Read more in @thetimes.com ⬇️ www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcar... @lifearc.bsky.social @imperialmed.bsky.social

"The field has completely turned on its head, and now we know inflammation is a huge part of the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's." Prof @tspiresjones.bsky.social (UK DRI at Edinburgh) discusses the complex role of inflammation in Alzheimer's, on BBC's Inside Health ⬇️ www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

How can the brain 🧠 promote healthy ageing? @ulelab.bsky.social at King's and Dr Mathieu Bourdenx (UCL) have been awarded £3.8m by @wellcometrust.bsky.social to study role of interstasis in protecting neurons. www.kcl.ac.uk/news/3.8m-aw... #AgingResearch @ukdri.ac.uk @uclbrainscience.bsky.social

Glad to see this work finally out! A joy working with the incredible Nurun Fancy to figure out the interaction between TREM2 and CD33, how TREM2 variants differ and what happens to other cell types in cases with TREM2 variants. Thanks to everyone involved in the study, it was a great team effort!

How might neurons protect themselves from toxic protein build-up?🧠 @ulelab.bsky.social & @mbourdenx.bsky.social have been awarded £3.8m by @wellcometrust.bsky.social to study role of interstasis in protecting neurons ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve... @kingsioppn.bsky.social @uclbrainscience.bsky.social

Could a protective gene counteract risk of Alzheimer's in people with a high-risk gene variant? 🧬 Researchers led by Dr @jojacksonhere.bsky.social revealed how TREM2 – a well-known Alzheimer’s risk gene – interacts with CD33, a gene that can reduce disease risk. ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

What can scientists learn from the brains of centenarians? 🧠 @sj-marzi.bsky.social, Dr Alexi Nott & Prof Henne Holstege investigate what makes some people resilient to dementia into old age, in a major new project 👏 ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve... @alzheimersresearchuk.org

What can scientists learn from the 🧠 brains of centenarians 💯? @sj-marzi.bsky.social co-leads team EMERALD — asking what protects some people's brains from #dementia. www.kcl.ac.uk/news/what-ca... @ukdri.ac.uk @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social @amsterdamumc.bsky.social @alzresearchuk.bsky.social

Join us on 21 July at 2pm to learn about the Race Against Dementia x @ukdri.ac.uk AI Innovation Fellowship Scheme, hear from speakers and get tips on applying. #AI youtube.com/live/1XpA9Sk...

We're excited to be taking part in the Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) Black Internship Programme for the second year 🎉 A warm welcome to the five students who will be spending time at our centres across the UK, learning new skills and developing their talents.

How does the cell's transport network go wrong in neurodegenerative conditions? 🧠 New research led by @avezovlab.bsky.social (UK DRI at @cneurodept.bsky.social ) reveals new insight and a potential therapeutic avenue 👉 ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

King's researchers identify a new mechanism for neuronal death in #dementia, called karyoptosis, that links the build-up of toxic proteins to neurons dying. @alzheimersresearchuk.org @ukdri.ac.uk @rcasterton.bsky.social

Where there’s a common vision, there’s an opportunity for collaboration. The @ukdri.ac.uk shares our ambition to improve tests, treatments and ultimately find cures for people living with motor neuron disease and rare dementias. Learn more: https://t.ly/snVaa #PartnerForChange

Last month we celebrated the official launch of our Parkinson’s Research Centre, in partnership with @parkinsons.org.uk 🎉 📹 Watch the video below to hear Centre Director Prof Miratul Muqit outline his vision for the new centre. ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Around six million people live with Down syndrome globally, and around 90% will develop Alzheimer’s in midlife. Dr Frances Wiseman & colleagues have developed two new models of Down syndrome related Alzheimer’s, that could enable better study of the condition's impact 👉 ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Our researchers at the UK DRI at Edinburgh are featured on the BBC today, highlighting how AI is transforming the search for treatments for neurodegenerative conditions 👏 Thank you to Steve, who generously shared his story and why research gives him hope 💙 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This #DementiaActionWeek, we were delighted to welcome @vikkislademp.bsky.social & @alisonebennett.bsky.social to UK DRI at King’s Researchers showcased how they're uncovering new opportunities to diagnose early & slow onset by studying underlying processes & harnessing data science advances.

In #DementiaActionWeek learn how our universities are working with @ukdri.ac.uk to spearhead efforts to diagnose and treat this devastating disease. This includes better testing to enable accessible, accurate and early detection, even before symptoms appear. www.russellgroup.ac.uk/impact/diagn...

Only 2% of people with dementia symptoms ever get a specialist diagnostic test We are developing: 🩸 Blood tests to distinguish between conditions ⌚ Smartwatch AI detecting Parkinson's 7 years early 🛏️ Sleep mats predicting tau accumulation www.russellgroup.ac.uk/impact/diagn... #DementiaActionWeek

@sj-marzi.bsky.social has been awarded $1.4m from @asapresearch.parkinsonsroadmap.org as part of a $9m international collaboration investigating how environmental toxicants may influence Parkinson’s disease. www.kcl.ac.uk/news/9m-awar... @ukdri.ac.uk #ParkinsonsResearch

The best reasons to apply to the SPARK NS program don’t come from SPARK NS. Hear below a message from Miratul Muqit, PhD, Professor of Experimental Neurology, University of Dundee, and Director of UK Dementia Research Institute Parkinson’s Research Centre, University of Edinburgh. @ukdri.ac.uk

From the organising committee, from @edinunineuro.bsky.social, from the @ukdri.ac.uk, the one and only Dr Philip Hasel @philiphasel.bsky.social Registration is closes May 18th: www.physoc.org/events/uk-gl... #neuroscience #careers #networking #UK #science #neuroskyence #glia #Bristol #June

We are exceptionally proud to announce that the second UK Glia Network meeting will be closed by FRS, Prof Bal Khakh Returning to the UK to join the @ukdri.ac.uk we are super pleased he is coming to Bristol in June You can come too, registration still open: www.physoc.org/events/uk-gl...

Coming from Edinburgh @edinunineuro.bsky.social and the @ukdri.ac.uk, the ineffable @bdiazcastro.bsky.social #neuroscience #networking #science #career #opportunities #UK #glia Registration closes May 18th: www.physoc.org/events/uk-gl...

Professor Corinne Houart and Dr Richard Taylor (@ukdri.ac.uk at King's) received a new £500k+ grant from @alzresearchuk.bsky.social to study how RNA-binding proteins, which are disrupted in #dementia, might be important for protecting against degeneration. @cohouart.bsky.social

Join us! Research Fellow role at UCL @ukdri.ac.uk @uclqsion.bsky.social with me & @sj-marzi.bsky.social studying oligodendrocytes, genetics & epigenetics in ageing & neurodegeneration using multiomics/bioinformatics. Collaboration with Alexi Nott & @rikeshrajani.bsky.social Closing date: 2nd June

💡New evidence about the causes of a common type of stroke offers clues as to why widely used treatments like aspirin may not work. The new study, led by Prof Joanna Wardlaw found that instead of fat build-up, enlargement & widening of arteries may cause lacunar stroke 👉 lnkd.in/e-__v2kK

Could we boost the nervous system's ability to repair damaged brain cells?🔬 New research by Dr Jobert Vargas and Prof Giampetro Schiavo (UK DRI at UCL) in collaboration with Dr Andrea Serio (UK DRI at King’s), uncovers key insight into how human neurons can be repaired. ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Could improving the way we collect & store brain tissue help better preserve it for research? A study by Dr @jojacksonhere.bsky.social & Prof Paul Matthews (UK DRI at Imperial) with researchers at McGill University reveals temperature plays a greater role than previously thought👉 lnkd.in/eG6yqJzD

Join the UK DRI's Prof Julie Williams, & neuroscientist & psychologist Dr Sabina Brennan as they share insights from the forefront of dementia research and care. 📍 Cheltenham Science Festival 🗓️ 7 June, 3:15pm www.cheltenhamfestivals.org/events/repai...

Listen to the third Between the Signals podcast episode: "Could a One-Time Brain Injection Replace a Lifetime of Medication? Gene Therapy Explained” Dr Sarah Mizielinska speaks with expert Professor Chris Shaw to understand how fundamental research gets turned into medicine. youtu.be/USGnc2yHhXQ

Congratulations to Dr Samuel Barnes (UK DRI at Imperial) & team at @imperialcollegeldn.bsky.social , who have been awarded major @wellcometrust.bsky.social funding to develop a next generation imaging system 👏 Read the full story 👉 lnkd.in/eq7FudUE

Congratulations to UK DRI Group Leader Dr Mootaz Salman on this award! 👏 ukdri.ac.uk/news-and-eve...

Wish I could do this PhD with Bal Khahk 😍 Newly appointed Fellow of the Royal Society, he is one of the best scientists to work with right now and joining the @ukdri.ac.uk in @cardiffuni.bsky.social #neuroskyence #opportunities #careers #PhD #glia # www.findaphd.com/phds/project...

⭐️ Group Leader job opportunity ⭐️ We're currently recruiting for two Group Leader positions within our centre at Cardiff University. Full information and to apply 👉️ buff.ly/JFbUtci