Last month, the Alzheimer Europe Conference gathered more than 1,500 people passionate about improving the lives of people with dementia. Among them were QoLEAD PhD students Anne, Teis and Baran who share their experiences with us.
Anne
This year, I had the opportunity to present my research at Alzheimer Europe for the second time. Just like last year, I really enjoyed seeing how diverse the participants, speakers, and research projects are. People living with dementia are truly at the heart of this conference, which is also something we strive for in the QoLEAD project. I will definitely take all the lessons from the valuable conversations and interesting presentations with me into my own project.
Teis
My first Alzheimer Europe visit is one I’ll never forget for sure. My first big conference to begin with, I was positively impressed by the vast number of 1,500 people who attended the conference, highlighting how strongly Europe recognizes the importance of dementia research. One might expect this to be a bunch of academics huddled together in their scientific bubble, but actually it was humbling to see many people with dementia present at the conference, as well as how much space there was for them to share their own lived experiences as well as their expectations of us as researchers. It was heartening that the conference itself embodied the philosophy of creating impact with people with dementia rather than merely for them. It was also inspiring to meet fellow researchers working on related projects projects, as well as to consolidate relations with fellow researchers whom I had met before. This conference has provided me with new connections and fresh inspiration to move forward with my PhD research.
Baran
Quite some people are working on language and dementia, even as a biomarker sometimes. I do think we are doing something that seems to be different, focusing on different linguistic aspects. Technology implementations to help people with dementia was seen to be very broad and different, with some interesting interventions in cooking and music which can be relevant for us too! I think we are on the right direction, with new lessons for us to adapt the project.
The reflections of Anne, Teis and Baran highlight how meaningful it is for early-career researchers to engage in a conference where people with dementia are truly at the centre. Their insights and inspiration will help shape the future of research projects together with, not just for, people living with dementia.
