PREVENT researchers from Edinburgh Dementia Prevention have once again teamed up with The University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Open Learning to host a series of open public lectures with the aim of improving understanding of the neurodegenerative diseases that cause dementia.
This four-part series will provide a comprehensive introduction to the biology of neurodegenerative disease, how research studies investigate these diseases, the ways we can use the power of data to predict dementia risk and the methods we can adopt, on a global scale, to empower individuals to improve their brain health and prevent the onset of dementia.
All lectures are recorded live and will be made available below shortly after the event.
A short online ‘micro-module’ has also been designed to accompanty this lecture series. For a recap of key learning objectives, additional resources and weekly quizes, visit the micro-modules webpage.
What is Neurodegenerative Disease?
In our first lecture, Prof. Craig Ritchie introduces the brain diseases which cause dementia. We explore the biology behind these diseases, how we can use the latest scientific techniques to study them and promising new approaches that aim to intervene and prevent disease taking hold.
How to Detect Neurodegenerative Disease
Intervening earlier in the course of disease will enable us to prevent the onset of dementia. In our second lecture, Prof. Craig Ritchie discusses how to detect the very earliest signs of changes in the brain, how novel research studies will allow us to build an accurate picture of dementia risk and how we can apply the latest scientific findings to the clinic helping patients today and in the future.
Developing Treatments for Neurodegenerative Disease
Our third lecture focuses on the new ways we can look to treat brain disease before dementia. From drug trials to lifestyle interventions, fundamental laboratory science to studying large at-risk human populations, Dr Catherine Pennington explains how can we apply the knowledge gained through research to develop the best strategies to prevent dementia. Sarah Gregory, PhD student with Edinburgh Dementia Prevention, also introduces her novel research investigating the role of stress on risk of neurodegenerative disease.
Dementia Prevention: A Global Approach
Dementia is the world’s most pressing healthcare challenge. In our final lecture Dr Graciela Muniz-Terrera and Dr Sammy Danso explore how large data sets can inform healthcare policy and how powerful statistics, computer modelling and global collaboration can deliver the best strategies to tackle neurodegenerative brain diseases around the world.
