Stroke research appeal exceeds £100,000

The University’s stroke research appeal has exceeded its £100,000 fundraising target, thanks to generous donors around the world.

Gifts to the appeal – launched in December 2020 – will fund a new PhD research post with a focus on haemorrhagic stroke. The new researcher will increase capacity in the Manchester stroke team and support the search for life-saving new treatment.

Haemorrhagic stroke – otherwise known as brain haemorrhage – is a subtype of stroke. Around half of all patients who experience this type of stroke will die, and this death rate has changed very little in the past thirty years. This is in stark contrast to other diseases that have seen death rates reduce substantially over that time.

There is currently no successful treatment for haemorrhagic stroke – making this is a key area of research focus for the Manchester Stroke Group. The University’s strengths in Neuroscience research and links with the UK’s largest clinical stroke centre make Manchester particularly well-placed to lead the search for better treatments.

Professor Stuart Allan leads the team that will welcome the new PhD researcher, and expressed his gratitude to the hundreds of donors who have helped to fund the new post:

“Thanks to hundreds of donors, we’ll be able to strengthen our team with crucial expertise which will drive our research on to new levels. With an extra researcher on the team, I’m confident we’ll make quicker progress towards a much-needed treatment for haemorrhagic stroke. In a few short months, our University community has come together, and made our dream of expanding Manchester’s stroke team a reality.”

The appeal has also been championed by Fiona Moss of the Natalie Kate Moss Trust. Fiona tragically lost her sister Natalie to a haemorrhagic stroke nine years ago, and the Trust have been generous supporters of the University’s stroke research ever since. Fiona said:

Thank you so much to everyone who has donated over the last few months to such an incredibly worthwhile appeal. My family and I know first-hand the struggles and heartbreak that stroke can cause. That’s why we’re so proud to support Professor Allan and his excellent team, and why we’re so excited to hear about the progress that the Manchester stroke team will make, thanks to your help.”

With funds now in place, Professor Allan and team will start making plans to recruit the new researcher. The appeal remains open, and any further donations will be used to fund resources and equipment to support the new researcher’s work.

Visit www.manchester.ac.uk/strokeappeal to find out more.