The building houses the Centre for Misfolding Diseases, a world-leading research facility focused on the misfolding of proteins in human cells - a phenomenon that causes a number of disorders including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and Motor Neurone Diseases.
The building has been funded by £17.6 million from Research England’s UK Research Partnership Investment Fund (UKRPIF), as well as with contributions from Elan Pharmaceuticals and AstraZeneca.
Among the philanthropic contributions to the project is a donation of £5 million from Cambridge alumnus Derek Finlay in memory of his wife, Una, who died in May 2016 after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. The first-floor laboratory is named the Una Finlay Laboratory in her memory and as the name-plaque was unveiled, Mr Finlay said: “This is a special and very poignant day for myself and my family. This building will enable world-class research that will speed up the search for ways to delay, ameliorate and – I believe – ultimately abolish these dreadful neurodegenerative diseases.”
“The research carried out in this new facility has the potential to affect millions of lives around the world for the better,” said Cambridge Vice-Chancellor Professor Stephen Toope, who opened the building today. “Through collaboration and the sharing of ideas, our research teams will work to find the keys that unlock the mysteries of neurodegenerative disorders, one of the greatest health problems of our age.”
A 2015 report suggested that by 2030, there will be 75 million people worldwide living with Alzheimer’s disease. While the number of cases of Alzheimer’s diseases and other neurodegenerative disorders continues to rise, so too do the costs to society, both economic and emotional.
The Centre for Misfolding Diseases is co-directed by Professor Sir Christopher Dobson, Professor Tuomas Knowles and Professor Michele Vendruscolo, three world leaders in their fields who have been studying the molecular origins of neurodegenerative diseases.
Image: (L-R) Vice Chancellor; Derek Finlay; Fiona Finlay; Dame Fiona Reynolds, Master of Emmanuel College; Lord Wilson, former Master of Emmanuel College; and Professor Sir Christopher Dobson
Credit: Copyright Nathan Pitt
Reproduced courtesy of the University of Cambridge