Southampton scientists benefit from £650,000 charity funding boost

Dementia scientists at the University of Southampton received a huge funding boost after Alzheimer’s Research UK committed a record amount of money to new research projects. The UK’s leading dementia research charity has pledged a further £5.5m investment in new projects, bringing its current commitment to over £20m. The announcement, which coincided with World Alzheimer’s Day (21 September), included awards of almost £650,000 for Southampton researchers.

The charity has awarded a total of 52 new grants aimed at understanding the causes of dementia, improving diagnosis, and finding new treatments and preventions. Five of these grants are awarded to pioneering researchers at the University of Southampton.

The commitment will allow scientists in the region to study the role of immune cells in Alzheimer’s, as well as understanding the risk factors of the disease. It will also provide vital funds for equipment to measure the electrical activity of nerve cells and understand how they can become damaged in dementia.

Dr Cheryl Hawkes, a researcher from the University, has just been awarded a Senior Research Fellowship. She said:
“I am really grateful to Alzheimer’s Research UK for investing in my research and my future as a dementia scientist. This three year fellowship will allow me to investigate why some people are more at risk of Alzheimer’s than others. With so many families affected by the disease, it is important to understand how we can prevent or treat it.”