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On the first day of December, and every other day of the year, the Brain Health ARC shared a vision to make Scotland the world leader for brain health discovery. Catch up on a selection of handpicked papers from the Brain Health ARC team:
Between April and July 2025, 706 people submitted 2,677 potential research questions. We received responses from people living with dementia, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, the third sector, and beyond. Using surveys, and priority ranking, we eventually agreed on a ‘top ten’ list of priority research questions for brain health and another ‘top ten’ for dementia. How to facilitate earlier diagnosis led the dementia priorities, while improving risk reduction was the primary brain health priority. In terms of potential impact, research questions around understanding brain resilience and redesigning dementia care pathways were selected. We hope that some of the questions will become commissioned research calls. Perhaps some of our Brain Health ARC community want to tackle the questions in the top ten - get in touch for guidance! read more
The Brain Health ARC supported Arlene in attending The Global Ageing Network Summit (GAN) in Boston in October, joining leaders, researchers, and practitioners to explore innovation, equity, and dignity in ageing. I am a doctoral student in Applied Social Research at Stirling University studying Dementia and Ageing, specifically the intersectionality of identities in spousal care partnerships where one partner has dementia. I was invited to present my research at the Ageing Commons and display my poster. After attending GAN 2023 in Glasgow I was determined to go and gratefully received funding from the Brain Health ARC to attend. I hoped to leave feeling enthused, empowered, and eager to continue working within the field with a renewed energy so close to completion of my doctorate, and it certainly delivered that! These are my insights from across the three-day summit: read more
Day One – Innovation in Aged Care
Vic Rayner OBE highlighted the urgency of embracing technology and AI without leaving older adults behind. Dr Joe Coughlin (MIT AgeLab) reframed ageing as a shared journey, not “about them but about us,” introducing the Quality Aging Needs pyramid - health, safety, connection, contribution, and legacy - as a framework for inclusive innovation. Tools like the AGNES empathy suit and Boston’s “living lab” showed how design can foster independence and inclusion. Day Two – Research and Practice Panels explored how the built environment prevents falls, with flooring, lighting, and passive tech shaping safety and wellbeing. In the Ageing Commons, I showcased my doctoral research on dementia care emphasised by the dyadic lens - seeing couples as units of care shaped by identity, emotion, and equity. Other presentations showcased decision aids for self-funders, disparities in service use across residence types, and the role of creative activities, nutrition, and technology in sustaining cognitive health and social connection. Day Three – Sector Insights and Workforce Futures Research highlighted the persistence of ageism in healthcare and community life, calling for education and advocacy. Studies on assisted living underscored the importance of smaller, non-profit models and registered nurse staffing. Nurse-led wellness programs in affordable housing reduced isolation and improved health, while rural ageing research revealed stark disparities in transport, food, and housing. Technology pilots like LifeLoop boosted staff satisfaction, while community health workers in Hawaii bridged cultural and systemic gaps. Workforce studies stressed onboarding, support, smarter scheduling, and career pathways as keys to retaining CNAs and HHAs. Takeaway Across all sessions, a clear message emerged: ageing is not decline but possibility. Innovation must be co-produced with older adults, embedding rights, equity, and dignity. Whether through design, technology, workforce reform, or relational care, the summit called on us to be “cathedral builders” - creating systems that honour ageing as a stage of life rich with purpose, connection, and legacy. In November, a Scottish delegation of neuroscientists, sponsored by the Brain Health ARC, were welcomed to the ReALity Institute in Mainz to present their work and develop new collaborations. The workshop, titled Molecular Communication in Brain Health, is part of a series between the “Scotland Hub” and the ReALity Institute, designed to promote connections between Scotland and the Rheinland-Pfalz region of Germany. The Scottish delegation included Prof Frank Gunn-Moore (University of St Andrews and the Brain Health ARC), Dr Rosie Jackson (University of Dundee), Dr Philip Hasel (University of Edinburgh), Prof Jenna Gregory (University of Aberdeen), and Dr Fiona Kerr (Edinburgh Napier University and the Brain Health ARC). Prof Frank Gunn-Moore said: "It was a great meeting showcasing the excellent research in these two centres ranging from the molecular to the clinical, from new diagnosis methods to potential treatments. As ever, we were extremely well looked after; sampling both local wine and beer, and the largest schnitzels that any of us had ever seen."  |
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The Brain Health Alliance for Research Challenges is supported by the Scottish Funding Council.
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