Dementias Platform UK

16/10/2025

Dr Ivan Koychev is now presenting on artificial intelligence for dementia at our Great Minds live event! 🧠
A brilliant afternoon of cutting-edge research alongside Prof John Gallacher, Prof Vanessa Raymont, and Prof James Rowe.

16/10/2025

We're live at The Saïd Business School, Oxford!

Our Great Minds event "Decoding Dementia: Biomarkers, Big Data, and the Future of Diagnosis" is underway with a fantastic turnout of Great Mind members, researchers, clinicians, and READ-OUT study participants.

Prof John Gallacher is currently presenting on what big data has revealed about dementia over the past 5 years – fascinating insights from the room!

More to come from Prof James Rowe, Prof Vanessa Raymont, and Dr Ivan Koychev this afternoon.

14/10/2025

📍 Final Reminder: Join Us This Week – It's Not Too Late!

Our Great Minds Live event is happening this Wednesday, 16 October 2025 at The Saïd Business School, Oxford.

"Decoding Dementia: Biomarkers, Big Data, and the Future of Diagnosis"

There's still time to register! Everyone involved with the READ-OUT study is warmly invited to join us, along with anyone interested in the latest dementia research. You can attend in person or join us online.

Hear from leading experts including Prof Vanessa Raymont (READ-OUT co-lead), Prof John Gallacher (DPUK Director), Dr Ivan Koychev (Great Minds lead & READ-OUT co-lead), and Prof James Rowe as they discuss advances in biomarkers, AI applications, and new developments in diagnosis.

Time: 2:00pm - 5:00pm (Registration from 1:30pm)

Don't miss this opportunity – book your place today, whether attending in person or online. https://zurl.co/Z7Ghe

10/10/2025

Dementia is a global challenge. On World Mental Health Day, wants to thank every single scientist who is working day in, day out to better understand the disease.

And a huge thank you too, to our volunteers who are so vital to human-based research into , declining , and . -OUT

Share to show your appreciation.

06/10/2025

Are you part of our READ-OUT study? If you are, we'd like to invite you to join attend - in person or online a special 'GREAT MINDS LIVE' event on Thursday 16th October, 2-5pm.

You'll be joining people who have registered to be on our Great Minds register, but you can also invite friends or family to come too. Everyone is welcome.

We expect there will be staff from some of our 31 clinical research sites across the country joining the event too.

For everyone, it is a chance to hear from some of our research investigators about developments in biomarkers, the use of AI in research and to learn how about new developments in diagnosis.

Speakers include Prof Vanessa Raymont, who co-leads READ-OUT; Prof John Gallacher (PhD AFBPsS CPsychol FFPH), Director of DPUK; and Ivan Koychev, who heads up Great Minds and is also a co-lead of the READ-OUT study.

You can attend 'in person' at the Said Business School in Oxford: https://zurl.co/4RcKS
Or join ONLINE: https://zurl.co/bi07v

Note: You will need to book however you choose to attend.

01/10/2025

Don't miss it! Book your place at our latest GREAT MINDS LIVE event - in Oxford (and online). Decoding Dementia: Biomarkers, Big Data and the Future of Diagnosis. FREE, but places are limited.

Attend in person: https://zurl.co/3aacq
Online: https://zurl.co/vUa6g

15/09/2025

🩸 Could a Simple Blood Test Revolutionise NHS Dementia Diagnosis?

Prof Vanessa Raymont explores this game-changing possibility at Great Minds Live (16 Oct).

Why it matters:
• More accessible diagnosis across the NHS
• Earlier detection before symptoms
• Less invasive than current methods
• Better clinical trial efficiency

Plus: Dr Ivan Koychev reveals how AI is transforming dementia research, and Prof John Gallacher shares 5 years of breakthrough developments.

📅 16 October, 2-5pm | FREE
Said Business School
This isn't just research updates - it's the future of dementia care.

Register: In-person https://zurl.co/rSKdB | Online https://zurl.co/J6F7l



What excites you most about these developments?

The future of biomarkers and the importance of registers in dementia research

14/08/2025

🧠 Fuel for Thought: The Science Behind Brain-Healthy Eating

Our PhD researcher Megan Smith explores how the foods we eat can either support or hinder our brain health in her latest blog post.

🔬 Key insights from Megan's research:
• The MIND diet shows cognitive benefits 12-23 years later
• Ultra-processed foods linked to increased dementia risk
• Mediterranean-style eating patterns support long-term brain function

"Food is unique in that it has the potential to either support or hinder our brains," says Megan. "We all need to eat – but this provides us with the opportunity to support our brain health many times over through our food choices."

Read Megan's full research insights: https://zurl.co/sxfVh

We often discuss how eating a healthy diet is good for our physical health – less often talked about is how eating a varied and nutritious diet is also important for the health of our brains. Having gone many years not knowing this myself, I’ve now become passionate about sharing this message as...

30/07/2025

Promising news of potential new dementia treatment reported at :
"90% of those prescribed trontinemab experienced amyloid clearance within 28 weeks, meaning visible markers of the disease had cleared."

https://zurl.co/6PK1G

A new drug could halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease - granting hope to thousands who suffer from the illness.

30/07/2025

Where are you heading at today? Check out Morgane Kuenzi's poster #791 on early adverse experiences and coping strategies in the Prevention section.

09/07/2025

New study suggests dementia rates declining in younger generations, but data limited by:
• High-income country data only
• Prediction models vs clinical diagnosis
• No socioeconomic analysis

Global projections still show cases rising to 139M by 2050
zurl.co/rMp4q

With a growing global population and a greater proportion of people living over the age of 65, it is likely dementia cases will actually increase.

24/06/2025

🔬 RESEARCH BREAKTHROUGH: Stomach ulcer bacteria may protect against Alzheimer's

New research from Karolinska Institutet reveals a surprising twist in dementia research. A protein fragment from Helicobacter pylori—bacteria known for causing stomach ulcers—can block the toxic buildup of both amyloid-beta AND tau proteins implicated in Alzheimer's disease.

This unexpected finding suggests bacterial proteins could potentially block the earliest signs of Alzheimer's, offering a new strategy in our fight against dementia.

Even more promising: the same bacterial fragment also prevented protein clumping linked to Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes.

While still in early laboratory stages, this discovery opens exciting new pathways for dementia treatment research.

Read more: https://zurl.co/kLA3x

Helicobacter pylori, best known for causing stomach ulcers, was shown to block the build-up of both amyloid-beta and tau in our study.