Welcome to
Chronic Disease Research Foundation
The Chronic Disease Research Foundation (CDRF), founded in May 1996, is an independent medical research charity.
The CDRF funds a wide range of gene research programs that aim to discover the cause of diseases such as cardiovascular disease, obesity, long-term COVID, arthritis, dementia, back pain, and migraine. Current projects are investigating the link between the gut microbiome, healthy ageing and age-related chronic diseases.
The CDRF runs many successful projects at the Department of Twin Research at St Thomas' Hospital.
We hope that the results of this research will contribute to the development of future diagnostic tests and treatments.
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We rely entirely on non-governmental donations and grants to conduct our research.
New Award
TwinsUK Imaging: A Resource for Ageing and Research
The CDRF is pleased to announce funding for the “TwinsUK Imaging: A Resource for Ageing and Research” award. The five-year longitudinal study will use members of the TwinsUK cohort to investigate the ageing process. TwinsUK is the UK’s largest adult twin registry and the most clinically detailed worldwide. Using whole-body MRI scans, the project will enable researchers to investigate the influence of environmental factors on ageing and the development of age-related diseases. The research will focus on normal brain ageing, the genetic and environmental determinants of cognitive decline, age-related cardiovascular change, and how diet affects ageing.
The project will be led by Prof Claire Steves, who, with researchers from KCL, has set up the Centre for Ageing Resilience in a Changing Environment (CARICE). The objectives of CARICE are to understand the impact of ageing and climate change on individuals and populations and how we can best prepare to meet and cope with the challenges of these internal and external stresses.
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Thank you to our donors
The CDRF would like to thank all the citizen scientists who’ve contributed to the Covid Symptom Study. By regularly recording your symptoms, you provided valuable data for our researchers. Please continue to report your health daily, even if you are well, and share the app with friends and family.
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For those who donated to our appeal, your donations helped support the COVID Symptom Study during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDRF is grateful for your generosity. The money raised helped fund a team of over 50 researchers, data scientists, and engineers and supported several CDRF projects. These projects are investigating the immediate and long-term effects of COVID-19. This information will prove valuable as we move into the next stages. It will help our understanding of viruses and how populations can be better prepared to manage future pandemics.
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Keep up to date with the latest research from the project and the UK Covid data.
