HDR UK and DPUK granted £2m for new motor neurone disease research initiative

The rapidly progressive neurological condition affects around 5,000 people in the UK

Health Data Research UK (HDR UK) and Dementias Platforms UK (DPUK) have received £2m in funding to launch a new initiative to accelerate motor neurone disease research.

Supported by the UK Dementia Research Institute, the MND Research Data Catalyst is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and delivered through the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Currently affecting around 5,000 people in the UK, MND is a fatal, rapidly progressing neurological condition caused by the accumulation of proteins in the brain that clump together to gradually stop cells from working.

Supported by the UK government in partnership with charities and organisations including the NIHR, UK Research and Innovation, MND Association, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, MND Scotland and LifeArc, along with the MND research community, the new initiative aims to accelerate the discovery of new diagnostics and treatments as well as improve care for MND patients.

The initiative will harness the UK’s large-scale health data infrastructure and will foster collaborative partnerships across the MND research landscape, underpinned by the principle of user-centred design.

In addition, solutions will be co-created with the UK-wide MND research community to ensure delivery against an unmet need as well as enable novel, high-impact research outcomes.

Professor John Gallacher, director of DPUK, commented: “We expect the catalyst will make a fundamental contribution to MND therapeutics, delivering high-quality translation science.”

Dr Rhoswyn Walker, director of strategy, HDR UK, said: “We are delighted to partner with DPUK, UK DRI and the whole MND research community to build a secure data platform that accelerates trustworthy data use to save lives.”

Commenting on the collaboration, professor Siddharthan Chandran, director of the UK DRI, supporting the initiative, said: “Joining forces with HDR UK, DPUK and the MND research community to deliver the MND Research Data Catalyst, will help drive real change for those affected by this devastating disease.”