The NIHR DeNDRoN Coordinating Centre
The work of NIHR DeNDRoN is supported by a national Coordinating Centre funded by the Department of Health and run by a consortium of University College London (UCL) and Newcastle University with support from the Universities of Sheffield and Cardiff. The DeNDRoN Coordinating Centre is headed by Directors Professor Martin Rossor at UCL and Professor Ian McKeith at Newcastle.
The core activities of the DeNDRoN Coordinating Centre are:
- Providing leadership to DeNDRoN
- Managing DeNDRoN on behalf of the NIHR
- Co-ordinating network participation in NIHR Clinical Research Network Portfolio studies.
- Development and quality assurance of DeNDRoN Local Research Networks.
- Supporting the development of new clinical research in dementias and neurodegenerative diseases
- Promoting the active involvement of patients and the public in research.
- Managing internal and external relationships.
- Working with the NIHR Clinical Research Network Coordinating Centre to achieve the aims of the NIHR Clinical Research Network.
The key priorities of the DeNDRoN Coordinating Centre are:
Active management of the network
There are significant complexities in the environment in which DeNDRoN is operating, which include working with i) clinical subjects, ii) research communities and iii) NHS organisations. DeNDRoN covers four prototypic disease areas, with overlapping but distinct research communities and traditions, involving separate medical specialties – old age psychiatry, neurology, gerontology and clinical genetics – as well as primary care and professions allied to medicine. DeNDRoN is also operating across two very different NHS secondary care trust domains – acute hospitals and mental health trusts – both of which are involved to differing degrees in the treatment pathways of all four diseases.
Delivering on the vision and aims of the network in this environment is a significant challenge. A Coordinating Centre priority is to manage the development of the network together to deliver significant benefits to patients and provide excellent value for money. This active management will focus on integrating health research and patient care; and thus improve the quality, speed and co-ordination of clinical research.
Development and delivery of a balanced portfolio
There is an urgent need to increase the numbers of high quality clinical studies across a broad range of topics, from translational medicine to health service research. There is also a need to develop capacity and capability in the research community and NHS to ensure studies are feasible and are delivered on time to predefined targets. A Coordinating Centre priority will be to support the development and delivery of a balanced portfolio of studies.
Meeting the needs of industry
Life sciences are of increasing importance to the UK economy and the importance of commercially funded research cannot be underestimated. A Coordinating Centre priority is to increase collaboration with industry partners and ensure that the NHS can meet their health research needs on time and to target.
