Dementia Researcher Blogs

Ella Moonan-Howard, narrating her and Pepsi Reilly's blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog, Ella and Pepsi, explore why academics make great innovators. Drawing from her own journey from academia to dementia innovation, they highlight how research skills like project management, adaptability, and a scientific approach to problem-solving can drive impactful product developm...

Ella Moonan-Howard, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Discover how venture science is transforming dementia care in the first blog of our week-long focus on innovation, written by Ella Moonan-Howard from the Alzheimer’s Society Innovation Team. Ella explores how companies like Big Health are combining academic research and commercial development to create evidence-bas...

Dr Clíona Farrell, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Clíona shares a typical week looks like for a PhD student. From lab work and data analysis to committee meetings and outreach events, Clíona shares her experiences from each year of her PhD, offering valuable insights into the challenges and rewards of life as a researcher. Whether you're considering a PhD or just c...

Dr Clíona Farrell, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In the second of her three-part series Clíona offers practical advice for those applying to PhD programmes. She begins by discussing the importance of tailoring applications to specific projects and carefully reading job descriptions to meet both essential and desirable criteria. Clíona outlines the key components o...

Dr Clíona Farrell, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In the first of her three-part series Clíona shares her personal journey to obtaining a PhD, offering insights into the challenges and decisions she faced along the way. From her undergraduate experience at Trinity College Dublin to working as a research assistant in Ireland, Clíona reflects on how she navigated the...

Emily Spencer, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog, Emily shares her experience of returning to work after nine months of maternity leave while balancing her PhD and the challenges of parenthood. She reflects on the initial optimism of her decision to return early, influenced by financial considerations and the availability of childcare. However, as she nav...

Dr Kamar Ameen-Ali narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. The blog discusses Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD), a condition that mimics dementia due to overlapping clinical symptoms such as cognitive impairment. While FCD shares similarities with dementia, including changes in memory and thinking, a key difference is that FCD is not degenerative. Unlike dementia, where brain cells ar...

Victoria Gabb , narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Join Victoria, a Senior Research Associate at the University of Bristol, as she embarks on a new blog series exploring the development of 'core outcomes' for mild cognitive impairment (MCI) research. This series will follow the year-long project aimed at establishing a core outcome set (COS) for MCI, ensuring that resea...

Dr Sam Moxon , narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In this blog, Sam provides practical advice for PhD students and postdocs attending conferences alone, especially overseas. Sam shares his personal experience, acknowledging that while solo travel can seem daunting, it offers significant personal and professional growth opportunities. He gives key tips, such as preparing thoroughly...

Dr Yvonne Couch , narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Yvonne’s blog, tackles the pervasive issue of academic bullying, exploring how power imbalances and toxic behaviours are often overlooked in academia. Drawing from personal experiences and insights from experts, the blog explores the subtle and overt forms of bullying that thrive in hierarchical environments. Yvonne c...

Yasmin Bonsu , narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Yasmin shares her reflections and anticipations as she transitions from a hands-on placement year back to the theoretical environment of university for her final year. She discusses the skills and insights gained from her time in a research lab, her evolving academic and career aspirations in neuroscience, and her strate...

Adam Smith narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. Adam’s blog discusses the evolving landscape of PhD funding, particularly the growing prominence of Doctoral Training Centres (DTCs). These centres offer structured, interdisciplinary, and cohort-based programmes, contrasting with traditional individual funding models. Adam highlights the benefits of DTCs, such as fostering collaboratio...

Dr Connor Richardson narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. Connor's blog offers a thoughtful reflection on the challenges and rewards of an academic career. Prompted by a personal conversation with his mother, Connor addresses the common perception that academic research is a source of stress and dissatisfaction. He counters this by highlighting his deep love for science, the intellec...

Hannah Hussain narrates her blog written for Dementia Researcher. In her final blog, Dr (Yes it's Doctor now) Hannah Hussain reflects on her PhD viva experience, offering valuable tips for preparation and success. She highlights the importance of giving yourself enough time to revise, the benefits of doing a mock viva, and the need for confidence on the big day. Hannah also shares insights on hand...

Martin Robertson narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. Martin shares his personal journey as a Co-Researcher following his diagnosis with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), a rare form of dementia. He reflects on how the shift to online work during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him to stay active and engaged in research, which his neurologist believes has slowed the progression of his...

Adam Smith narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. Adam's blog, explores the challenges of forming new connections as an adult in unfamiliar environments, such as new workplaces or countries. He offers practical advice on how to start small by greeting others, showing up to social events, asking questions, and finding common interests. Adam emphasises patience, open-mindedness, and the...

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Rebecca shares her reflections on the highs and lows of academic life. She acknowledges the challenges, such as long days, coding frustrations, and balancing work-life responsibilities, but emphasises her passion for research and problem-solving. Rebecca highlights the excitement of working in a field as unique as com...

Dr Jodi Watt, narrating a new blog they wrote for the Dementia Researcher website. Discover the disparities in dementia drug development in Dr Jodi Watt's latest blog. As a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Glasgow, Jodi discusses the urgent need for more inclusive research that considers the diverse populations affected by dementia. Learn about the biases in clinical trials and the pot...

Dr Clíona Farrell, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Clíona discusses the importance of understanding your audience in effective science communication. She emphasises that communicating scientific research requires tailoring the content and presentation style to different audiences, whether they are laypeople, students, or individuals with specific needs. Through vari...

Dr Lis Grey, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In this blog Lis discusses the limitations of individual-level interventions in preventing chronic diseases, including dementias. While recent advances in identifying biomarkers and understanding the genetic basis of dementias are promising, the Lis argues that focusing solely on individual interventions, such as health c...

Emily Spencer, narrating her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. In her blog, Emily explores the often-dismissive attitudes towards women's pain during childbirth, highlighting her own experience of being repeatedly told she wasn’t in labour despite severe contractions. Emily draws a powerful parallel between this dismissal and the experiences of people with dementia, who are often n...

Dr Martyna Matuszyk, narrates her article written for Dementia Researcher. Martyna shares news that the Alzheimer’s Society is investing over £9 million in three Doctoral Training Centres to support early career researchers in dementia research. This funding aims to nurture a new generation of scientists by providing world-class training and resources, encouraging innovative ideas, and building su...

Dr Ayokunmi Ojebode, narrates his blog written for Dementia Researcher. In his guest blog Ayokunmi, examines the intersection of poetry and dementia care. Drawing from his extensive experience as a creative writer, scholar, and dementia care worker, Ayokunmi shares some of his own work and discusses how poetry serves as a powerful medium for expressing the complex emotions and experiences of indiv...

Rebecca Williams, narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Rebecca's blog explores the practical, self-serving benefits of Open Science, beyond its noble ideals. She highlights how practices like preregistration can streamline research, making analysis faster and writing less labor-intensive. Additionally, Open Science fosters transparency and accountability, making it easier...

Amelia Robson , narrates her blog written for the Dementia Researcher website. Amelia's blog offers a detailed look into her work as a research assistant in sleep psychology, focusing on the use of Polysomnography (PSG) to study sleep disorders, particularly in people living with dementia. She explains the intricate process of setting up PSG in patients' homes, where she carefully attaches electro...