Stroke-ImPACT group awarded €6M to study stroke and dementia

Congratulations to Dr Barry McColl (Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences) and his research group, who are part of an international consortium, Stroke-ImPACT, which has recently been awarded €6M funding from Fondation Leducq to study immunological mechanisms linking stroke and dementia. 

People now live to older ages, and the number of individuals affected by age-related conditions, such as stroke and dementia, is greatly increasing. Stroke doubles the risk of dementia, although the reasons are not well understood. Researchers in the Fondation Leducq consortium think changes in the immune system caused by stroke can have long-term effects on the recovery process of the brain which could contribute to the risk of dementia.

The researchers hope that the work will lead to new ways to identify and treat individuals at risk of cognitive problems after stroke. They also hope that the network can put in place resources and an educational and training environment which will enable more researchers to start working in the under-represented area in the future. The research will take place over the next 5 years and will involve groups from the UK, US, Germany, and Spain with researchers from different backgrounds, such as stroke, dementia, immunology, neuroscience, and clinical trials. 

In Edinburgh, work will focus on how early events after stroke shape the longer-term cognition-influencing changes in immune cells inside and outside the brain.

Further information

Dr Barry McColl's profile page