Research into stroke and vascular dementia took a major step forward last week with the official opening of the Wolfson Centre for the Prevention of Stroke and Dementia.
Named in recognition of a £4 million grant from the Wolfson Foundation, the new centre is the first dedicated facility for stroke and dementia research in the UK, and will house an estimated 25% of the UK’s active stroke researchers.
Located in the new Wolfson Building at the John Radcliffe Hospital, the centre will allow substantial expansion of one of the most productive stroke research groups in the world. The group, which was founded as the Stroke Prevention Research Unit in 2000, uses a range of techniques to increase understanding of the causes of cerebrovascular disease and improve the prevention of stroke in routine clinical practice.
Gavin Screaton, Head of the University of Oxford’s Medical Sciences Division, says: ‘There are 1.2 million stroke survivors in the UK, and someone has a stroke here every five minutes. This new state-of-the-art centre represents a major step forward for stroke and vascular dementia research, not only in Oxford, but in the UK. Given the relatively large number of scientists and clinicians working here, the new expanded centre promises to keep Oxford at the forefront of research in this field, and ensure that we continue to deliver benefits for patients.’
Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation, says: ‘Having a dedicated centre for research into the prevention of stroke and dementia is going to be really advantageous, not only for the researchers, but also for the patients who take part in the research. The Wolfson Foundation is pleased to support such an important project and I’m delighted to have had the opportunity to celebrate the centre’s official opening; the rates of both stroke and dementia are at such high levels that if this fantastic facility can provide new insights into them, it will have a profound impact on society.’
The Wolfson Building will also be home to researchers from the Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, who are investigating how the brain recovers after damage and how the brain processes pain.