News and Blogs
What's new
Professor Kia Nobre elected to National Academy of Sciences
19 May 2020
DPUK scientist Professor Kia Nobre has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of her distinguished achievements in cognitive neuroscience.
Researchers assess reliability of UK Biobank cognitive tests
18 May 2020
DPUK-funded researchers have published the results of their investigation into the reliability and validity of cognitive tests undertaken as part of the UK Biobank health data cohort.
Comment: COVID has exposed the need for flexible global data access
7 May 2020
At a time when the work of disease modellers has been thrust into the spotlight, DPUK’s director, Professor John Gallacher, comments on the important role of technology platforms which democratise access to global health data.
Scientists show link between ‘toxic’ Alzheimer’s protein and impairments in brain communication networks
1 May 2020
DPUK-funded researchers have shown for the first time a link between the accumulation of an Alzheimer’s-associated protein and the function of communication networks within the brain’s nervous system.
The DPUK blog
Dementia prevention beyond educational attainment
26 May 2020
There is mounting evidence suggesting that education has lifelong benefits that promote good health, and that it is more than a ‘gateway’ to a higher socioeconomic status. Pamela Almeida-Meza – PhD student in UCL’s Department of Behavioural Science and Health explains the nuances of the latest research findings in this area.
Pioneering stem cell research into dementia
21 April 2020
Induced pluripotent stem cells are a special type of stem cell that's proving to be a crucial element in the fight to find the first life-changing treatment for dementia. Bryan Ng is one of the DPUK researchers who has been using them to study the cellular changes that take place when dementia takes hold.
Lockdown diary: doing dementia research in a time of coronavirus
27 March 2020
Distant colleagues, a screen-based social life and perhaps some home-schooling, has become the new normal for most of us now. Although some clinical researchers will be retraining to support coronavirus efforts, those who work with big data will be at home, doing their best to carry on there. Dementia research doesn’t stop in a time of corona – but it certainly changes. Dr Michele Veldsman, a dementia data researcher, is tracking her experience.
ECR journeys: from teaching English to exploring the impact of childhood traumas
17 February 2020
Dr Delia Gheorghe is a postdoctoral research assistant at DPUK, investigating how childhood experiences influence brain structure in later life. This is how she got here.
ECR journeys: new steps from a small grant
12 January 2020
Sometimes it’s only a small thing that triggers the changes that can lead to a dramatic step in your career. Here, Luke Whiley, an analytical chemist by training, reminds researchers to look out for opportunities in the small stuff. He tells the story of how a relatively small grant has taken him far in his career in dementia research – to the other side of the world in fact!
Dates for your diary
Virtual DPUK datathon
Tuesday, 02 June 2020 to Friday, 12 June 2020
At the virtual DPUK datathon, researchers work online in multidisciplinary teams in the DPUK Data Portal. You will experiment with different methodologies to predict dementia risk and likelihood of conversion from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. Research questions will centre around longitudinal modelling of disease and cognitive change.