Cause

Much of dementia research worldwide is focused on understanding the cause of Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.

As our knowledge grows we gain insights into what is happening inside the brains and nerve cells of people with dementia.

A better understanding of dementia enables scientists to identify possible targets for treatments in the future and to develop new tools for better, earlier diagnosis.

Key Research: Brains for Dementia Research

Brains for Dementia Research co-ordinates dementia brain banks throughout the UK.

Brain tissue is an essential resource for dementia researchers in understanding the changes that occur in the brain during dementia.

Current Projects

Alzheimer's Society funds four types of research grant: Project grants; Research fellowships; PhD studentships; Dissemination grants. Below is a list of our current research projects sorted by grant type.

You can also see our current and completed research sorted by different categories.

Projects

• Long-term reduction in blood flow - a cause of vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease? (University of Edinburgh)
• Investigating the causes of white matter damage and its link to dementia (St George's, University of London)
• Chronic stress as a risk factor for the development of Alzheimer's disease (University of Southampton)
• Investigating the brain's protective cells (The Menzies Institute, Australia & University College London)
• How does tau cause nerve cells to die? (Southampton University)
• Bringing vascular dementia to the forefront of research (University of Bristol)
• Why do older people develop dementia after surgery? (Imperial College London)
• Untangling the link between amyloid and tau in Alzheimer's disease (King's College London)
• Why do nerve cells stop communicating in dementia with Lewy bodies? (King's College London)
• Developing a cell library resource for dementia research (University College London)
• Understanding and modifying degeneration of nerve cells (Bristol University)
• Bringing vascular dementia to the forefront of research (University of Bristol)
• Using blood proteins to diagnose Alzheimer's (Cardiff University)
• Brains for Dementia Research: The brain banking initiative (Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London)

Fellowships

• Study of rare genetic variants in Alzheimer's disease (Cardiff University)
• Understanding how biological markers can help to diagnose and monitor Alzheimer's disease (Kings College London)
• Short-term memory: A sensitive cognitive marker for Alzheimer's disease? (University of Edinburgh)
  
• PICALM - Investigating a new gene for Alzheimer's (University of Bristol)
• Investigating the role of inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (Institute of Psychiatry, KCL)
• Is there a link between head injury and dementia? (University of Edinburgh)
• Mapping differences in mental ability between people with and without dementia (Cambridge University)
• Could a blood test identify who is susceptible to Alzheimer's disease? (University of St Andrews)
• Study of rare genetic variants in Alzheimer's disease (Cardiff University)
• Understanding how biological markers can help to diagnose and monitor Alzheimer's disease (Kings College London)

PhD Studentships

• What role does the immune system play in recognising the Alzheimer's disease hallmark, amyloid? (Cardiff University)
• How do cells make and use energy during Alzheimer's disease? (University of St Andrews)
• Can astrocyte cells protect nerve cells from damage? (University of Dundee)
• Mapping nerve changes in the hippocampus to behaviour changes during Alzheimer's (University of Manchester
• The interaction between short beta-amyloid proteins and the immune system (University of Sussex)
• How do genes work during Alzheimer's? (Nottingham University)
• Understanding the genetics and biology of fronto-temporal dementia (York University)
• How understanding cell death could lead to a new drug for Alzheimer's (Reading University)
• Tracking amyloid-beta production in nerve cells (University College London)
• The neurochemistry of dementia with Lewy Bodies (Institute of Psychiatry, KCL)
• Understanding how the brain processes copper during Alzheimer's disease, using brain scans - a potential tool for diagnosis (King's College London)
• Detection of iron in the brain: towards a new diagnostic tool (University of Warwick)
• Paving the way for a new approach to Alzheimer's diagnosis (King's College London)

Dissemination grants

• Providing Alzheimer's disease brain scan data to other researchers (University College London)