The collab signals a new phase of research linking diabetes and neurodegeneration, two of the most critical public health challenges.
Published Oct 27, 2025 | 8:32 AM ⚊ Updated Oct 27, 2025 | 8:32 AM
(L–R) Prof. Siddharthan Chandran – Director & Chief Executive, UK Dementia Research Institute; Prof. Henrik Zetterberg – Head, Department of Psychiatry & Neurochemistry, University of Gothenburg; Group Leader, UK DRI at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology; Visiting Faculty, CBR; Dr. V. Mohan – Chairman, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF); Dr. Uthra – Consultant, Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre; Dr. R. M. Anjana – President, Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF); and Prof. K. V. S. Hari – Director, Centre for Brain Research (CBR), IISc Bengaluru
Synopsis: The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, Centre for Brain Research at IISc Bengaluru, and UK Dementia Research Institute have signed MoUs to explore the link between diabetes and neurological disorders like dementia. This global collaboration will combine expertise in diabetes, neuroscience, and genetics to study cognitive decline, aiming for early detection and preventive strategies to improve brain and metabolic health worldwide.
In a landmark step toward understanding how diabetes impacts brain health, the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, has entered into a strategic collaboration with the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), United Kingdom.
The three premier institutions signed separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) to jointly pursue research exploring the complex connection between metabolic disorders and neurological diseases, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
This collaboration brings together some of the world’s foremost experts in diabetes, neuroscience, and dementia research, combining decades of clinical expertise with cutting-edge approaches in genetics, imaging, and neurobiology.
The initiative aims to conduct large-scale studies, facilitate data sharing, and promote translational research to improve early detection and prevention of cognitive decline in people with diabetes.
Calling the partnership a milestone, Dr V Mohan, Chairman of MDRF, said the alliance represents a major leap in understanding how diabetes affects not just physical health but also brain function.
“With our decades of work in diabetes and metabolic health, and by joining hands with eminent neuroscientists and dementia researchers, we hope to uncover mechanisms that will ultimately improve the quality of life for millions worldwide,” he said.
Dr RM Anjana, President of MDRF, emphasised that diabetes is increasingly recognised as a risk factor for cognitive decline.
“Through this partnership, we will leverage the strength of multi-disciplinary expertise and diverse datasets to uncover early markers of brain aging in people with diabetes. This could pave the way for preventive and therapeutic breakthroughs,” she noted.
From the UK, Professor Siddharthan Chandran, Director and Chief Executive of the UK DRI, highlighted the global importance of studying metabolic factors in brain function.
“Understanding how metabolic disorders influence brain function is one of the great scientific challenges of our time,” he said, adding that collaborations like this unite global expertise and resources to accelerate discoveries for patients.
At IISc Bengaluru, Professor KVS Hari, Director of CBR, said the partnership aligns perfectly with the centre’s focus on brain aging and neurodegenerative diseases.
“Working with MDRF and UK DRI will help integrate large-scale clinical, imaging, genomics, and proteomics data to identify key pathways linking diabetes and cognitive health,” he explained.
Professor Henrik Zetterberg, Group Leader at UK DRI and visiting faculty at CBR, described the initiative as an “exciting frontier” in dementia research and added that by studying metabolic factors and brain biomarkers together, the research teams can gain deeper insights into disease mechanisms and identify novel intervention strategies.
The collaboration signals a new phase of interdisciplinary research linking diabetes and neurodegeneration, two of the most pressing public health challenges of the 21st century.
With institutions spanning India and the UK, the initiative is poised to produce globally relevant insights into how lifestyle and metabolic health influence brain aging.
By integrating expertise across clinical research, data science, and neuroscience, the MDRF-CBR-UK DRI partnership aims to lay the foundation for earlier diagnosis, prevention, and improved quality of life for millions at risk of both diabetes and dementia.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
