ARUK Lab Notes – In Conversation at Christmas 2023

Join us this festive season to find out more about amyloid. How has this tiny protein shaped our understanding of Alzheimer’s disease? Why is it important that we also look beyond amyloid for treatments for dementia?

You may have seen news stories this year that new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease are targeting something called amyloid. Amyloid is one of the key proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease and has been the focus of lots of biomedical research for the past 30 years. However, amyloid is not the only focus for research.

In this event, we will look back at the discoveries about amyloid that showed its important role in Alzheimer’s disease. We will also discuss some of the fascinating research that is looking at factors beyond understanding amyloid.

Taking part in this discussion is Prof Paresh Malhotra and Dr Fiona McLean. Chairing the discussion will be Henry Scowcroft, Head of Communications at Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions, both ahead of the event and during it.

The event will take place online on Zoom, and it is free to attend.

It is open to everyone, and no previous knowledge of dementia or research is required. We will be recording the event so you can watch it back on demand if you can’t make it live on the night.

Guests

Professor Paresh Malhotra – is a neurologist, splitting his time between clinical and research work. He runs regular neurology clinics at Charing Cross Hospital, where he sees people with memory and thinking problems. His research at Imperial College London focusses on Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia, working on areas like brain imaging to detect amyloid, as well as leading clinical trials.

Dr Fiona McLean – is a researcher working at the University of Dundee. Her research interests are on the links between diet, metabolism and brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias. She is currently working on a project focussing on the blood-brain barrier, which is meant to protect the brain. She wants to understand if changes in metabolism cause this barrier to become leaky, and how this may contribute to the diseases that cause dementia.

Henry Scowcroft – is Alzheimer’s Research UK’s head of communications. Born into a family of scientists, writers and medics, Henry is an experienced communications professional and science writer, with a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Science Communication. He’s spent two decades working in a variety of roles across the medical research charity sector, all of which have centred around one thing: communicating complex, emotive and at times controversial issues to a variety of audiences, including patients, the public, journalists, policy-makers and supporters.