Dementia Researcher Dementia Researcher

A weekly gathering to discuss careers and research topics, inspired by 17th and 18th century salons from Paris, with a modern twist. These sessions combine livestreams, guest speakers and group chat to exchange ideas, challenge, influence, inspire and educate.

After the 30 minute livestream ends, you can join the host and speakers with our others and continue to discuss the topic for a further 30 minutes (you will find this in past events).

Our very first gathering is scheduled for the 26th June at 12noon BST to explore 'Tackling Sexism in Academia'.

Join us LIVE or join our community to catch-up when you have time:

https://communities.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/c/events/tackling-sexism-in-academia-6284d2d8-3ddc-44f6-a618-8d7a3492f148

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Sexism in academia is a significant issue that manifests through unequal opportunities, pay disparities, and underrepresentation of women, particularly in senior and leadership roles. Despite advancements in policies aimed at fostering equality, implicit biases and structural barriers continue to impede the progress of female academics. How can we claim to value intellectual diversity when half the population is underrepresented in academic leadership What message are we sending to the next generation of scholars if we continue to ignore the gender biases that permeate our institutions? Can academia truly progress if it fails to address the systemic barriers that prevent women from succeeding at the same rate as their male counterparts? In this salon session we will hear from our speakers and then give you the audience a chance to have your say.
Speakers

Georgina Menzies - is a Computational Biologist and Lecturer with a research portfolio in understanding DNA-repair and disease modifying coding mutations. Prior to this appointment Georgina held a Ser Cyrmu II Fellowship in the Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff. Georgina is involved in the Alzheimer's Research UK network in South Wales, and has helped drive the ECR steering committee for the UKDRI cross-centre theme on DNA repair and neurodegeneration into existence.

Soumilee Chaudhuri - is a 3rd year doctoral candidate in Medical Neuroscience and Bioinformatics at the Indiana University School of Medicine, researching Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) in multiethnic populations. Soumilee was raised in Kolkata, India and graduated with double degrees in Neuroscience & Biochemistry from Montana State University, Bozeman as an International Merit Scholar. She works at the intersection of multi-omics and neuroimaging to characterize Alzheimer Disease (AD) therapeutics; she was competitively awarded the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative Health Equity Scholar Program (ADNI HESP) fellowship. Her interests and experiences range from neurodegenerative diseases, neuroinformatics, to science communication, public health policy and diversifying academia & research spaces. She is the recent co-founder of IMPACT IN (Initiative for Mobilizing Public health Advocacy, Care, and Translational research for Alzheimer’s Disease in Indiana).

Join Dr Sam Moxon and guests, Dr Emily Willroth, Dr Kyrsten Hill, and Karysa Britton, from Washington University in St. Louis three of the people behind the World Happiness Report.

Together they discuss their research showing that higher levels of well-being can act as protective factors against dementia and improve the quality of life for those living with the condition. They highlighted the importance of mental health and well-being in dementia prevention and care, and the potential for public health policies and community programs to incorporate these findings. In the show our guests also emphasise the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in tackling dementia prevention.

In the 2024 issue of the World Happiness Report, the authors focus on the happiness of people at different stages of life. In the seven ages of man in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, the later stages of life are portrayed as deeply depressing. But happiness research shows a more nuanced picture, and one that is changing over time. In this show we focus on 'Chapter 4 - Supporting the Well-being of an Aging Global Population: Associations between Well-being and Dementia'. However, we encourage you to explore all of the 2024 report for the latest findings on the happiness of the world’s young, the old – and everyone in between.

Listen to the postcast, read the report and check where the place you live, sits in the global happiness rankings.

Links mentioned in the show:

The World Happiness Report 2024 - https://bit.ly/4c2iOrg
Country Rankings - https://bit.ly/3KNyraa
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Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website:

www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk

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Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with a transcript on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/HnDcLGEU_5c

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This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.

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Follow us on Social Media:

www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
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twitter.com/demrescommunity
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In this episode of the Dementia Researcher podcast, Dr Sam Moxon interviews Dr Michael Klaper discussing the impact of diet and nutrition on brain health and dementia.

They explore the importance of a plant-based diet, rich in antioxidants and phytonutrients, for maintaining brain health. They also discuss the negative effects of ultra processed foods and animal-based diets on brain health. Dr. Klaper emphasises the importance of sleep, exercise, and stress management for overall brain health. He also suggests practical tips for transitioning to a plant-based diet, such as incorporating more vegetables and legumes into meals and exploring international cuisines.

About the guest:

Dr Klaper graduated from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1972. He served a medical internship at Vancouver General Hospital in British Columbia, received training in surgery, anesthesiology & orthopedics at the University of British Columbia Hospital in Vancouver & trained in obstetrics at the University of California Hospital in San Francisco.

Dr Klaper is a clinician, internationally-recognised teacher & speaker on diet & health. In addition to his clinical practice & private consultations with patients, he's a passionate & devoted educator of physicians & other healthcare professionals about the importance of nutrition in clinical practice & integrative medicine.

He's also the author of Vegan Nutrition; Pure & Simple & has produced numerous videos, webinars & dozens of articles for both scientific journals & the popular press. As a source of inspiration advocating plant-based diets & the end of animal cruelty worldwide, Dr Klaper contributed to the making of 2 PBS television programs, Food for Thought & the award-winning movie, Diet for a New America. He teaches that “Health Comes From Healthy Living” & is dedicated to the healing & flourishing of all living beings & our planet.

He is also a consultant for NASA advising the interplanetary missions on nutrician.

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Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website:

https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk

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Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with a transcript on YouTube:

https://youtu.be/zaTYwpPOiqo

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This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.

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Follow us on Social Media:

www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
twitter.com/demrescommunity
www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher

This week the Dementia Researcher Podcast shines a spotlight on last months DSAD-ADAD Conference, which focused on Down Syndrome Associated Alzheimer's disease (DSAD) and Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's Disease (ADAD). The conference, held in Barcelona, brought together over 160 researchers from 16 countries to discuss groundbreaking research in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

The podcast hosted Sára Erzsebet Zsadányi features three guests, Natalie Edwards, Dr Lisi Flores Aguilar, and Professor Jason Hassenstab. Together they share news from the conference and discuss various topics from genetic predispositions to treatment strategies. The conference highlighted the importance of collaboration and the overlap between DSAD and ADAD research. The podcast also touches on the potential of using retinal imaging as a biomarker for Alzheimer's disease, the importance of considering sex and APOE4 homozygotes in research, and the need for more patient perspectives in clinical trials.
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About the guests:

Dr Lisi Flores Aguilar is a Postdoctoral Research at University of California, Irvine researching cerebrovascular pathology in people with Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease under the mentorship of Dr Elizabeth Head.

Natalie Edwards is a PhD Student at Columbia University. Natalie is studying the independent and interactive contributions of cerebrovascular disease and neuroinflammation to Alzheimer’s disease in adults with Down syndrome using neuroimaging techniques and biofluidics.

Jason Hassenstab is Professor, Neurology and Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. Jason directs a lab called the ‘Cognitive Technology Research Laboratory (CTRLab)’ where they develop technology designed to improve the assessment of cognition and function in normal aging and in Alzheimer’s populations. He has also been the Cognition Core Leader for the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN) studies for 11 years, and is Principal Investigator of ARC-DS, a multi-site study to develop a mobile data collection platform in Down syndrome-associated Alzheimer’s disease.

Sára Erzsebet Zsadányi is a PhD Student at the Sant Pau Memory Unit – Neuroimaging Core and Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Originally from New Zealand, Sára studied psychology and linguistics, but always felt really drawn to neuroscience and especially to Alzheimer’s disease. Her research is focused on neuroimaging of small vessel disease in Down Syndrome and autosomal dominant Alzheimer’s disease.
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For more information on the conference visit:
https://dsad-adad.com/
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Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website:

https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
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Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with full captions on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/RC7a-c1BBs8

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This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.

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Follow us on Social Media:

https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
https://twitter.com/demrescommunity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher

This special episode of the Dementia Researcher Podcast was recorded live in front of an audience at the AAIC Neuroscience Next Conference at Trinity College Dublin.

Dr Francesca Farina, a Senior Fellow at University of Chicago and the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College in Dublin, hosts a discussion on the topic of ‘leaving home for science’. The guests are Elul Lakew, a clinical psychologist and mental health advocate from Ethiopia, Dr Claudia Suemoto, an Associate Professor of Geriatrics at the University of Sao Paulo Medical School in Brazil, and Muireann Irish, a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Sydney.

They discuss the challenges and benefits of moving for work, what motivated them, the importance of mentorship and collaboration, and the impact of cultural differences on their experiences. They also touch on the issue of "academic brain drain" and the potential future of international mobility in research.

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Resources mentioned in the show:

Event Recordings for those pre-registered: https://bit.ly/3mEhcPU
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Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website:

https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
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Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with full captions on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/fuB4Y2KSt94
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This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.
--

Follow us on Social Media:

http://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
http://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
http://twitter.com/demrescommunity
http://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher

#EDI #Equity #Diversity #AcademicCareers

In this podcast, Dr Jodi Watt, a postdoc at the University of Glasgow, discusses the importance of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in research and academia with Dr Hamied Haroon and Dr Nikou Damestani.

They explore the challenges faced by individuals from diverse backgrounds in academia, the importance of allyship, and the need for more representation in research. They also highlight the impact of EDI on patients and the importance of considering diverse populations in research studies.

A key feature… the need for kindness and empathy in the scientific community and the importance of creating safe spaces for open discussions about EDI.
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About the guests:

Dr Hamied Haroon is a Research Fellow in Biomedical MR Imaging at The University of Manchester, he is also Chair of the National Association of Disabled Staff Networks (NADSN) a proud life-long Disabled person, Mancunian, husband and father of two.

Dr Nikou Damestani is a Former post-doc at Massachusetts General Hospital / Data Expansion Lead. A physicist by training who specialised in neuroimaging at doctoral level, with a big focus of her research being accessibility of studies.

Dr Jodi Watt, Postdoctoral Researcher at The University of Glasgow. Jodi is interested in healthy ageing and neurodegenerative diseases of older age, and I am currently working on drug repurposing for dementia. As a queer and neurodiverse person, Jodi is also interested in improving diversity and inclusion practices both within and outside of the academic context.
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Resources mentioned in the show:

National Association of Disabled Staff Networks - https://bit.ly/445Gfwv

ISMRM EDI Work - https://bit.ly/3Unlidx

AMRC EDI Resource Hub - https://bit.ly/49BhOsd
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Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website:

https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
--

Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with full captions on our YouTube Channel: https://youtu.be/fuB4Y2KSt94
--

This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.
--

Follow us on Social Media:

http://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
http://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
http://twitter.com/demrescommunity
http://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher

#EDI #Equity #Diversity #AcademicCareers