ADAPT Lab members have co-signed a joint letter to the UK Science Minister to express our concern about the impact of Covid-19 on charity funded medical research. The letter was coordinated by the two biggest dementia charities in the UK: The Alzheimer's Society and Alzheimer's Research UK and was co-signed by more than 300 experts in the field.
In the UK there are over 850,000 living with dementia, costing our economy £26 billion each year. People with dementia have been hit hardest by the pandemic, accounting for 1 in 4 Covid-19 deaths. It's clear that research into dementia is critical, now more than ever.
Due to the pandemic, medical research charities expect income to fall by over 40% this year. As a result, ARUK and the Alzheimer’s Society will not approve funding for any new research projects this year.
Without funding, many talented early-career researchers will have no choice but to leave dementia research, which will have important impacts on the future of the field.
Last year, the prime minister vowed the “largest boost to dementia research ever” in the UK, pledging to double dementia research investment. It is critical for the government to deliver on this commitment in order "to prevent the loss of a generation of dementia researchers”.
ADAPT Lab supports this urgent call to the government to protect the future of dementia research.
The full letter with all signatories can be accessed here.
The Times coverage of this can be accessed here.