UCL reaps one-third of new Alzheimer’s Society research grants

UCL has received a total of nearly £500,000 funding for three dementia research projects from the Alzheimer's Society and Bupa, representing one-third of all projects funded in this round. Dr Elizabeth Sampson (UCL Mental Health Sciences) has been awarded a grant to carry out research into how being in hospital can affect people with dementia, specifically looking at how staff recognise pain. If left untreated, pain severely decreases people's quality of life and can exacerbate other symptoms of their dementia. Alzheimer's Society research conducted last year found that people with dementia occupy up to a quarter of hospital beds and are staying far longer in hospital than people without the condition. Dr Sampson's research will be important in understanding how hospital treatment can be improved for people with dementia and how better staff training can be developed. Professor Martin Rossor, Professor John Hardy, Dr Selina Wray and Dr Patrick Lewis (UCL Institute of Neurology) have been awarded a grant to set up a new cell library and biobank for inherited dementia patient cells. Dr Wray said: 'Much of our understanding of the biology of dementia has been discovered through studying people with rare causes of dementia caused by genetic - traits, or mutations.