16 October 2024 News
MND Association Royal Patron, HRH the Princess Royal, was warmly welcomed at the MND Association’s 'Countdown to a Cure' reception, held at the Royal College of Nursing, Cavendish Square, London.
The evening offered an opportunity to reflect on the Association’s continued commitment to motor neurone disease (MND) research, and showcased how some of this funding has resulted in significant progress in translational research. This innovative research, highlighted in our Countdown to a Cure reports, bridges the ‘bench to bedside’ gap between laboratory-based research and the testing of potential treatments in people through clinical trials.
The Princess Royal was presented with a copy of Countdown to a Cure, and listened to a keynote speech from MND Association’s Director of Research Development, Dr Brian Dickie MBE. Dr Dickie gave a brief overview of the innovative research the MND Association is funding, the increased collaboration across MND research, and a look at new and improved ways of carrying out clinical trials.
It was a pleasure to engage with our guests face to face and thank them for their amazing support for our research programmes. Advances in technology and significant new discoveries are accelerating the pace of research, catalysing exciting new partnerships aiming to translate this new knowledge into potential treatments. Together, we share common ground to understand, treat and - ultimately - defeat MND.
Chief Executive of the MND Association, Tanya Curry, greeted The Princess Royal on arrival and introduced her to invited guests.
We were delighted and honoured that The Princess Royal, who has been our Royal Patron for the last 16 years, was able to join us and invited guests at this special event to hear more about the progress that’s being made in translational MND research – taking trials from the laboratory into clinics. This kind of occasion is an important reminder for all of us about the strides that science is making and the role the MND Association, as the leading charity funder of MND research in the UK, and our incredible supporters have in ensuring that continues.
Her Royal Highness also had the opportunity to meet with invited guests, which included researchers, supporters, partners, funders and people affected by MND. In her speech, Her Royal Highness thanked everyone for their continued support of our ambition to find a cure for MND and highlighted the importance of collaboration and the need to move research from the laboratory into hospitals as quickly as possible.
Catherine Mair, who has MND and attended the event with her husband Alan and their daughters Anna and Olivia.
We were delighted to have the opportunity to learn more about MND research from the researchers themselves. It's valuable to hear about projects the MND Association is supporting and progress so far. Like everyone affected by MND, knowing so much research and collaboration is going on gives us continued hope for effective treatments and a cure. I am well aware the cure may be too late for me. But I hold out hope for those similarly afflicted, or may be so, in the future.
Read our Countdown to a Cure reports