At Race Against Dementia, we believe in doing things differently – faster, smarter, and more collaboratively. Formula 1 teams push the limits of speed and innovation, we’re applying that same drive to dementia research.
Today, we’re thrilled to announce our £4.2 million funding programme, designed to fuel the race against one of the world’s most devastating conditions.
In partnership with Rosetrees Trust we have awarded grants of up to £750,000 to six exceptional research teams from across the UK. These teams will accelerate the search for preventions and cures for dementia, focusing on fresh ideas and disruptive approaches.
We amended our original plan to fund five teams due to the overwhelming quality of applications we received.
Through the generous support of our partners, we have now funded an extra team.
Speeding Up the Search for Solutions
Our charity was founded by three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart. Race Against Dementia was born in response to Sir Jackie’s wife, Lady Helen Stewart’s diagnosis of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in 2014. Since then, we have been on a mission to transfer the same relentless determination and teamwork which drives Formula 1 into the world of medical research.
“We believe this mindset can be applied to dementia research”
“Formula 1 teams are relentless in their drive to succeed,” Sir Jackie said. “We believe this mindset can be applied to dementia research. I’m hopeful that these new teams will speed up progress and get results.”
Innovative Research to Tackle Dementia
The six research teams that we are funding each focus on different types of dementia, including vascular dementia, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Each team is committed to researching from unique angles. They plan to fuse fresh perspectives and collaboration across disciplines:
- Air Pollution and Alzheimer’s: One of the projects led by Professor Charles Swanton, Chief Clinician at Cancer Research UK and dementia expert Professor Sonia Ghandi, will explore the link between air pollution and Alzheimer’s disease. This cross-disciplinary team combines cancer research with cognitive health expertise. Their project aims to uncover how tiny particles in the air could lead to brain cell damage and dementia.
- Focused Ultrasound for Dementia: This project, led by Dr. Ashwini Oswal, will explore the potential of focused ultrasound technology – a non-invasive method already used in treating Parkinson’s tremors in the US. This technique could hold the key to treating Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease dementia, which together account for over 15% of dementia cases.
The Urgency of The Race
The need for breakthrough research is urgent. There are currently over 55 million people worldwide living with dementia and close to 10 million new cases every year.
The impact on families and society is staggering. Dementia costs the global economy £1.3 trillion annually.
We are harnessing a Formula 1 approach to tackle this crisis head-on. Our mission is to fund high-calibre scientists, giving them five years of financial stability and training them to adopt a Formula 1 mindset. Our partner, Rosetrees Trust, has overseen a rigorous selection process to identify the brightest minds and most promising ideas.
“Applying ‘outside of the box’ thinking to solve difficult problems”
Richard Ross, Chairman of Rosetrees Trust, said, “Sir Jackie Stewart has championed Formula 1 racing, and Rosetrees has championed brilliant new medical research ideas. Together, we’re applying ‘outside of the box’ thinking to solve difficult problems, making this a dynamic partnership in the race to find life-changing breakthroughs.”
Join The Race
We are committed to speeding up the search for preventions and cures for dementia.
Our work supports early-career researchers across the globe, in the UK, Australia, the United States, Europe, and South Africa.
We invite you to join us in this race. Together, we can change the future of dementia.
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