The MND Accelerator (MNDAcc) is a £6 million investment by the Medical Research Council and National Institute for Health and Care Research to make the translation of discoveries into therapeutics easier.

It is managed by Dementias Platform UK. Alongside infrastructure and key services provided by DPUK, some MNDAcc facilities are provided by the UK Dementia Research Institute (UKDRI).

Our executive team will be managing the delivery of the Accelerator's services, facilities and programme. An independent Scientific Steering Group will evaluate and approve applications for inclusion in the Accelerator programme.

“The MND Accelerator is a major opportunity to advance the pace of research. The idea is to use the experience and infrastructure of DPUK to provide a flexible and responsive environment for innovative MND research and provide access to UKDRI’s specialist facilities; to speed-up the process of translating discoveries into treatments.” 

Professor John Gallacher, Director of DPUK

Dementias Platform UK is a partnership between 29 public, private and third sector organisations, with core funding from the Medical Research Council. DPUK brings together expertise and technology, in a high-trust pre-competitive environment, to bridge the gap between discovery science and experimental medicine. 

By providing researchers with rapid access to data, technologies, and research opportunities DPUK facilitates dementia research at pace and scale, with >1,000 collaborating scientists in 47 countries. 

The DPUK Data Portal provides access to data from >60 cohorts (n=3.5m) for hypothesis testing. The DPUK Trials Delivery Framework offers access to two research registers and a growing network of >30 trials delivery sites. DPUK's Experimental Medicine Incubator is a programme of cutting-edge experimental studies co-designed by academic and industry partners focussing on vascular health, neuroinflammation, and synaptic health. 

In addition, DPUK also supports national networks for traumatic brain injury, neurological tissue, brain imaging, and stem-cells.  Together, these workstreams help researchers to identify the early signs of disease and support the translation of scientific discoveries into new treatments and preventive strategies.

Medical Research Council

The Motor Neuron Disease Translational Accelerator is funded by the Medical Research Council. MRC’s vision is to accelerate improvements in human health and economic prosperity for everyone, regardless of background, place or upbringing, by supporting world-class biomedical research and innovation, and strengthening partnerships within UKRI, across the UK and around the world.

National Institute for Health Research

Motor Neuron Disease research is a strategic priority for the NIHR, underpinned by the NIHR MND Highlight Notice. NIHR funds, enables and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing, and promotes economic growth. Our work focuses on early translational research, clinical research and applied health and social care research and is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care." Read more.