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Healthy Ageing and Development Theme Leader Professor Melanie Bahlo said a multidisciplinary and collaborative team at WEHI was developing genetics-based diagnostics for people with dementia, with the aim of more accurate diagnosis and – in the long run – personalised treatment options.
“Dementia research in the past has been dismissive of genetics. The argument was that, with no therapies available to patients, there was no point in knowing about the genetics. It made obtaining funding for this project really difficult,”
This year, the Alfred Felton Bequest awarded the multidisciplinary research collaboration a $1 million flagship grant. The four-year funding will support Professor Bahlo’s research team to perform whole genome sequencing on 500 Victorians with dementia, and – in collaboration with other dementia researchers and projects at WEHI – determine the genetic basis of dementia.
Sir Andrew Grimwade, The Felton Bequest’s Chairman, is a passionate advocate for WEHI, of which he was a long-serving Board President.
“The Felton Bequest believes that ageing is currently one of the greatest challenges facing medical science. We would welcome any other donors interested to join with us in supporting this exciting WEHI project.”
Professor Bahlo said while advances were being made into the environmental causes that contribute to dementia, it was becoming vitally important that we begin to determine the patients’ specific genetic causes.
“We have an opportunity here to change the landscape and the thinking around dementia research and that would not be possible without this generous philanthropic donation from the Alfred Felton Bequest.”
To donate to WEHI, visit www.wehi.edu.au/donate or phone 03 9345 2403
