UCL’s neuroscience building reaches highest point in construction
The landmark facility at 256 Grays Inn Road, London, will bring together research scientists, clinicians and patients with the aim of accelerating the discovery of treatments for neurological conditions, including dementia – for which there is still no known cure.
The state-of-the-art facilities are due to open in 2024 and will be home to three bodies: the world leading UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology; the headquarters of the UK Dementia Research Institute, which is the single biggest investment the UK has ever made in dementia; and the UCLH National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN), which is the UK’s largest dedicated neurological and neurosurgical hospital.
During the ceremony, attendees heard speeches by UCL’s President & Provost Dr Michael Spence, Dean of the Faculty of Brain Sciences, Professor Alan Thompson, Chairman of UCL Council, Victor Chu and Director of the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Professor Michael Hanna. They were then taken 25m above ground to the highest point of the building where early career researcher Dr Micol Falabella tightened the final bolt to conclude the ceremony.
There was also a science fair with seven stands, where early career researchers showcased their work on topics such as neuroimaging, stem cells, bioinformatics and Down syndrome.
And the two on-site artist studios were open for guests to view the works of Annie Cattrell and Freya Gabie – two artists commissioned as part of a public art programme designed especially for the UCL ION-DRI programme*.
UCL is one of the world’s largest, most productive and highest-impact neuroscience centres, with research including: the world’s first trial for patients with progressive MS, developing blood tests that could pick up Alzheimer’s disease years before symptoms; leading global efforts to develop what could be the first disease-modifying treatment for Huntington’s diseases and other world-leading research into conditions including multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular diseases, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, stroke and epilepsy.
The first-of-its-kind centre will bring together clinical work and research, with an on-site outpatient facility, allowing clinicians and researchers to work closely with people with neurological disorders, alongside their families, doctors and researchers.
The £281.6 million facility will house up to 1,000 scientists, clinicians and patients and enable advances to translate from bench to bedside and back again.
As well as seven floors of shared labs, workspaces, consulting rooms and collaboration spaces for scientists and support teams, the building will host an MRI suite with five scanners, a 220-seat lecture theatre and a range of shared core facilities, equipment and core technology platforms including microscopy, transcriptomics and tissue processing to encourage new ways of working, collaboration and knowledge-exchange.
The sustainable design, by architects Hawkins/Brown, also contains a variety of open and green spaces, including areas that the public can access, including a café.
The building is funded by UCL, the UK Research Partnership Investment Fund, the Medical Research Council, the UCL Dementia Research Retail Coalition and generous philanthropic partners, including Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, the Wolfson Foundation, the Garfield Weston Foundation, Mr Martin Lee and Mrs Cathy Lee, the National Brain Appeal, Brain Research UK, and more.
The Founding Funders of the UK Dementia Research Institute are the Medical Research Council, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research.
Professor Alan Thompson, Dean, Faculty of Brain Sciences, said: “The new UCL building at 256 Grays Inn Road has been an ambitious project, long in the making and it is wonderful to see it finally coming to fruition.
“UCL is a global leader in pioneering research into neurological conditions that cause disabling and distressing symptoms such as immobility and dementia, and it can be a challenge to link researchers with clinicians, patients, industry, and students. This new purpose-built centre of excellence will enable that collaboration between these key groups to take place and, as a consequence, new treatments to be developed, tested and made available to our patients.
“Our goal is to translate discoveries into treatments and have a real impact on patients with disabling neurological conditions – one of the great unmet needs of society.”