Pallavi Nair is an applied healthcare researcher with expertise in the neurology of aging and clinical epidemiology. Her PhD focused on preventive neuroscience study to identify early brain biomarkers of dementia and stroke in the LoCARPoN Study participants. She is currently leading the Com-PROACT (Community Health and Wellbeing Workers led Proactive Outreach for Cognitive Impairment and Dementia in the communiTy) Project with the Primary  Care Network Team.

What makes you interested in research on dementia?

 My clinical experience with individuals and families affected by dementia, along with my research on early brain changes which begin a decade or more before symptoms appear, drive my commitment to preventive healthcare. Therefore, I am passionate about creating awareness, promoting behaviour change for better brain health, and supporting individuals with MCI or Dementia in their journey toward a more meaningful life because memories matter.

 What do you think is currently lacking in dementia research / where do you think we need to focus our efforts as researchers?

 A considerable research gaps remain in the timely and accurate diagnosis of dementia, which impedes access to care. Additionally, educational disparities, culture/ linguistic appropriateness of assessment tools remain questionable, with digital tools still in their exploratory phase and effective intervention remains a work in progress. Hence, there is a need to necessitate innovation within the existing spectrum of primary care networks, who are the first line of contact with the community.

 What are you planning to work on during your fellowship?

 I plan to develop, pilot, and evaluate an innovative community-led health service model for dementia care in a highly diverse area of Northwest London. This initiative, known as Com-PROACT, adopts a life-course approach to provide a cost-effective means to ensuring continuity of care and delivering holistic, community-based primary care.

Sujin Kang’s previous research includes a large number of clinical and epidemiological studies. She studied clinical research medicine at Imperial College London.

What makes you interested in research on dementia

I believe in using preventive medicine to protect the health and rights of people who are vulnerable or at risk. When it comes to research dementia, it's important to understand the complex biological processes, markers in the body, and treatments that can specifically target the disease. By conducting this research, we hope to decelerate or even halt its progression. I have a strong desire to make a valuable contribution to the field of dementia research, not only for people living today but also for future generations.

 What do you think is currently lacking in dementia research/ where do you think we need to focus our efforts as researchers

 Dementia is a complex condition that necessitates a multidisciplinary approach. With a comprehensive understanding of dementia, we can support the development of innovative solutions that greatly assist individuals affected by the condition. It is crucial to promote collaboration and knowledge sharing among researchers from various fields, enabling the effective application of the findings to policy.

What are you planning to work on during your fellowship?

 My previous research has shown significant mediators in the prognostic link between known cardio-metabolic risk factors and cognition. These findings may lead to improved prediction of cognition and significant advancements in brain health for the general population. Employing new knowledge of the information could enhance a health risk prediction tool, especially for stratified or targeted cohorts.

The Cognitive Health in Ageing Register: Investigational, Observational, and Trial studies in dementia research (CHARIOT): Prospective Readiness cOhort study (PRO) focuses on cognitively healthy individuals and aims to evaluate key biological mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

I will investigate clinical, cognitive, and lifestyle signatures for cognitive decline, developing novel analytic methodologies and examining their applications to a risk prediction tool. I will collaborate closely with peers who are also funded by the ARC scheme and work with a group of academic colleagues in related fields.

Roxanna Korologou-Linden obtained a MSc in Modern Epidemiology at Imperial College London and a PhD from Bristol University. She has been conducting research on Alzheimer’s disease, using genetic methods since 2017 when she undertook a research post at University of Bristol following the completion of her Master’s. Her PhD examined whether structural brain morphology is a potential mediator of the relationship between cognitive ability and Alzheimer’s disease, using genetic instrumental variable methods.

What makes you interested in research on dementia?

I have worked in the dementia field since 2017. Although dementia affects a lot of individuals, this problem is increasingly becoming worse due to the increased life expectancy. It is also a very exciting time to work in Alzheimer’s research, given the approval of novel drugs which have shown clinical efficacy. 

What do you think is currently lacking in dementia research/where do you think we need to focus our efforts as researchers?

Unfortunately, the most common outcome upon Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis is care rather than cure, due to the lack of effective treatments. Recently, a biomarker-guided therapeutic, lecanemab, was developed, which targets amyloid beta plaques and is associated with reduced cognitive decline. The obstacle in providing the treatment is the current state of Alzheimer’s disease diagnosis which rely on cognitive testing. This stage is too late for any tangible benefits. Hence, new methods need to focus on early identification of individuals with Alzheimer’s pathology, before they display symptoms of cognitive decline.

What are you planning to work on during your fellowship?

I am planning on working on the CHARIOT-PRO study (Imperial College London) which enrolled cognitively normal participants and collected data on biomarkers, lifestyle factors, cognitive testing longitudinally. Although this study is relatively small, the rich database is powerful, as it aids in identifying factors (biological, genetic, lifestyle) that lead to different cognitive trajectories and outcomes. The ultimate goal of my fellowship is to identify potential plasma protein biomarkers which correlate with Alzheimer’s disease risk/endophenotypes. The hope in identifying more plasma proteins is that it will provide more predictive accuracy in identifying individuals with Alzheimer’s disease before onset of clinical symptoms.