The company is a key supporter of Sir Jackie Stewart’s charity
Leading eye care provider Optical Express supports Race Against Dementia, a global charity founded by three-time Formula 1 World Champion Sir Jackie Stewart after his wife Lady Helen was diagnosed with the condition.
Through its sponsorship of a series of Endurance Races at circuits across Europe in summer 2019, a substantial sum is expected to be raised by the company in support of Race Against Dementia’s Fellowship Programme.
In partnership with the University of Edinburgh, a hub for the UK Dementia Research Institute which is currently leading a large UK-wide study on vascular dementia, Optical Express hopes to change the narrative around dementia research.
Race Against Dementia is funding cutting-edge, early career scientists, with the programme run in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Research UK. Young scientists with innovative research proposals are actively sought to support efforts to tackle new approaches to better understanding, treatment, and prevention of the diseases underlying dementia.
The selected scientists will also benefit from a Formula 1 mentoring and development programme, supported by leading teams including McLaren and Red Bull, bringing innovative Formula 1 philosophies to the research with a view to achieving a breakthrough.
David Moulsdale, Larkhall Circuit owner and Founder and CEO of Optical Express, said, “Since my mother’s dementia diagnosis, I have been struck by how poorly understood the disease is, and how far behind the research is compared to other conditions. We’re all desperate for a breakthrough. Optical Express will collaborate with Professor Spires-Jones and her team to achieve just that. We believe that through working together we may shine a new light onto dementia.”
There are currently 850,000 people with dementia in the UK. Numbers are set to rise to over 1 million by 2025, yet dementia research is drastically underfunded. Not enough researchers and clinicians are joining the fight against dementia, and five times fewer researchers work on dementia than on cancer.
Professor Tara Spires-Jones, UK Dementia Research Institute Programme Lead, University of Edinburgh, said. “The planned partnership with clinicians at Optical Express is hugely exciting for us. Linking up their vast databases and state-of-the-art technology with our preeminent research teams has the potential to bring about advances in our ability to predict who is at risk of dementia, eventually helping diagnose diseases earlier and getting people treated sooner.”
If you would like to work for a company that gives back, then Optical Express could be the place for you. We’re always keen to speak to motivated individuals for the wide range of roles we offer. Search our current vacancies at Optical Express, or you can get in touch with our friendly recruitment team by emailing careers@opticalexpress.com or call 01236 795146.
