The flagship Wicking Dementia Research and Education centre (WDREC) will be officially launched in Hobart today, by the Director of the Menzies Research Institute, Professor Simon Foote.

The flagship Wicking Dementia Research and Education centre (WDREC) will be officially launched in Hobart today, by the Director of the Menzies Research Institute, Professor Simon Foote.

"This innovative centre will span health and community services, clinical and therapeutic research as well as tackling education and workforce capacity," Professor Foote said.

"Tasmania is set to become a leader in the development of new management and care strategies for dementia. The centre will also help achieve Menzies' vision of drawing together Australia's leading biomedical researchers, who are focused on determining new front line therapeutic strategies to treat ageing-related dementias" he said.

In outlining the five year research program, the joint Directors of the Centre, Professor James Vickers and Professor Andrew Robinson, said: "It will greatly benefit Tasmanians who are impacted by dementia both now and in the future."

"Our ambitious research program includes developing a dementia data base and will involve collaborative links with other Australian universities and with overseas dementia research centres," Professor Vickers said. "Dementia is an incurable ageing-related condition that will soon be the biggest single cause of disability in Australia.

Professor Robinson added, "Tasmania has the oldest demographic of any state/territory in Australia, yet we are currently underprepared for managing the health, social and economic consequences of these demographic changes. We face an urgent need to establish better ways of approaching and dealing with dementia care," he said.

Professor Foote highlighted the contribution of funding partners. "We are greatly appreciative of the $1.5m grant from the J.O. and J. R. Wicking Trust managed by ANZ Trustees. This grant, together with an additional $1 million funding contributed by UTAS (School of Nursing and Midwifery and central funding), the Menzies Research Institute, and the Department of Health and Human Services (Tasmania), helped establish the Centre within Menzies"

Teresa Zolnierkiewicz, Head of Philanthropy Partners for ANZ Trustees, states "ANZ Trustees is proud to be associated with the Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre which demonstrates the leadership and collaborative qualities we seek in our giving. As Australia's largest charitable and not-for-profit investment managers we take great satisfaction in helping establish the Centre that John and Janet Wicking would have been proud to be a part of."

The launch will be followed by a short seminar showcasing some current Tasmanian based dementia research.

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