Our Work.

Find out how we actively advance dementia education and preventative tools in our research.

Our work includes collaborations with key researchers, health professionals, health organisations and government bodies to advance research efforts and the future of dementia. Below are some of our latest research initiatives and media appearances .

BRAIN BOOTCAMP

Our first low-cost, innovative research initiative targeting better brain health for older adults is slowly coming to a wrap and we have some very exciting preliminary findings (see our video).

Continue to stay in touch with us through social media.

BRAIN BOOTCAMP FRONTIERS

Led by our very own Brain Bootcamp Coordinator, Laura is currently expanding and tailoring our program for older adults residing in rural or remote areas of Australia.

She will explore whether providing the Brain Bootcamp Frontiers Box will be able to reduce dementia risk and increase dementia awareness and cognitive performance in the long-term. If you are interested please join her waitlist here.

LEAF CAFE: Computer simulated environment

Virtual reality can provide a dynamic and unique understanding of our memory performance as well as a potentially more valid assessment. Though the use of virtual reality in screening for memory ability in older persons is promising, evidence for its use remains sparse.

In collaboration with the Department of Computing, Macquarie University, our team developed a game module to detect how well one can remember and recall items. If you’re interested in taking part please visit our Other Resources page or contact us directly.

Public health and practice development

We understand that making changes to your lifestyle can be difficult. Our team is dedicated to gathering a deep understanding of how we can embed everyday lifestyle strategies targeting modifiable dementia risk factors to reduce risk from middle-age.

We are currently conducting a number of different reviews to critically appraise the evidence and to inform policy and practice.

Healthy ageing for multicultural communities

Public health campaigns targeting lifestyle approaches towards brain health for older adults are promising. However, most campaigns do not target individuals from multicultural backgrounds and are not sustainable.

The Western Sydney district represents a large multicultural environment, with 54.1% of households speaking a non-English language (compared to the NSW average of 26.5%). This study will work with older multicultural adults in Western Sydney to adapt a digital intervention program to encourage their engagement in healthy brain lifestyles and lower their risk of developing dementia. Contact us if you would like to take part.

Social connections and dementia

Social connections have a critical role in delaying dementia onset. Our team has measured social networks and cognitive function in over 300 older adults receiving aged care. We found that having higher social networks with family and friends was linked with better memory performance.

Find out more here.

We are now working on a longitudinal approach to further identify the causal relationships of this critical factor.

Digital health

Digitally delivered behaviour change interventions targeting brain health are highly feasible, engaging and acceptable. Our team is now undertaking an optimisation phase with our existing digital platforms to explore the acceptability and feasibility of the digital content and functionality in older Australians.

COVID-19 impact

Our team provides evidence of immediate collateral consequences of the COVID‐19 outbreak, demonstrating an adverse impact on quality of life of older adults in different care settings. Our findings highlight the challenge of, but need for, health promotion efforts targeting well‐being. Better and targeted public health measures to improve and support supporting social and well‐being care needs for older adults during this crisis are required.

Find our more here and here.