NIHR National Festival of Applied Dementia Research 2025 showcased latest research from dementia fellows in the North Thames Applied Research Collaborative during Dementia Awareness Week
People living with dementia have unique needs that should shape the support designed for them. So, the fellows designed the day as an interactive opportunity to explore their emerging dementia research.
Hosted at the St Pancras & Somers Town Living Centre, the event covered a range of topics from prevention through to the experiences of LGBTQ+ people living with dementia. Below you can explore the event via each stall.
Dr Alex Tsui, spoke on how work around ‘Personalising Dementia Treatments’. As well as being a dementia fellow, Alex is a Consultant Geriatrician at UCLH and Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust. His research has been using EEGs – a test that measures the electrical activity of the brain – to explore experiences of delirium in dementia patients and try and improve treatment.
By challenging perceptions around conducting research with people experiencing dementia, he and his team have been able to redefine experiences of delirium – showing it is highly variable depending on the individual, and their usual experiences of confusion.
“Delirium is inherently so distressing to the patient experiencing it – and to your family members when you see your loved one very confused... It’s a terrible thing to have, and so finding the causes of delirium is hugely important.”
“I want to instil a sense of creativity and imagination. It’s really important to recognise that, just because someone has a diagnosis of dementia, it doesn’t mean they can’t be included in research studies. This is something that we really need to address as a scientific community.”
ARC North Thames are holding an online panel discussion to accompany this event on Monday 21st July 2025. The event is open to all and you can sign up via this link.
More information on the festival showcase, including the other dementia fellows is available on the ARC North Thames site: Dementia fellows share their research with the public through interactive event
Image: NIHR ARC North Thames