Forward with Dementia is brought to you by an international partnership of clinicians, researchers, people with dementia and carers across five countries: Australia, Canada, Netherlands, Poland and the UK. We share a common mission to better support people with dementia and carers after diagnosis. Websites and resources have been created in each country and can be accessed via the international landing page.
Meet the Australian research team who created the Australian website, campaign, tools and resources:
Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty AO is a researcher, clinician, policy advisor and strong advocate for people with dementia and their carers. At UNSW Sydney, he is Scientia Professor of Ageing and Mental Health and Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing. Henry has over 700 publications in refereed journals, and he is a senior psychogeriatrician at Prince of Wales Hospital.
Professor Lee-Fay Low is Professor in Ageing and Health, University of Sydney. Lee-Fay is a registered psychologist with a PhD in psychiatric epidemiology and conducts research that she hopes will make a difference in the world. Her main areas of expertise are in rehabilitation and post-diagnostic support for people with dementia, home and residential care for older people, the impact of COVID-19 on people with dementia, stigma and dementia literacy, and people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Professor Yun-Hee Jeon is Susan and Isaac Wakil Professor of Healthy Ageing at the University of Sydney. Yun-Hee is a registered nurse and her research focuses on improving the health and wellbeing of older people with dementia and other chronic illnesses through, for example, models of care for person centred care, reablement and rehabilitation, and clinical leadership in long-term care settings. As Director of StepUp for Dementia Research and StepUp for Ageing Research, she also leads a number of initiatives for public and patient involvement in research and citizen science.
Associate Professor Lyn Phillipson is a Principal Research Fellow in the School of Health and Society at the University of Wollongong. Lyn is an award-winning public health academic engaged in research and action to promote aged and dementia friendly communities. Lyn uses qualitative and participatory methods to work with older people to promote understanding and change in the social, physical and service environments that contribute to their wellbeing.
Dr Meredith Gresham is a Research Fellow at Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing UNSW Sydney. Meredith is an occupational therapist and the study coordinator for Forward with Dementia. Her research activities include education of care partners of people living with dementia, reablement in dementia, dementia education of aged care staff, modification of the built environment to promote independence and function of people living with dementia and the use of novel bidet assistive technology in personal care of frail older people and those living with dementia.
Research officers and assistants involved in the project include:
- Ms Nora Wong, University of NSW
- Dr Danika Hall, University of Wollongong.
- Dr Amy Tan, University of Sydney
- Dr Patricia Knight, University of Sydney
- Mr Jacky Zheng, University of Sydney
- Ms Issra Allam, University of Sydney
To contact the Australian research team, please email: forwardwithdementia@unsw.edu.au
With thanks to our extended team
Our sincere thanks to the people living with dementia, carers and health professionals who have generously given their time and expertise to contribute to the research and development of Forward with Dementia Australia. We would also like to thank our collaborators:
- Ms Kate Swaffer, Dementia Alliance International
- Ms Wendy Weidner, Alzheimer’s Disease International
- Dr Katrin Seeher, World Health Organisation
Background and funding
Forward with Dementia is the result of an international research project, COGNISANCE.
COGNISANCE was awarded by the European Union (EU) Joint Programme – Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND), a global research initiative aimed at tackling the challenge of neurodegenerative diseases. JPND aims to increase coordination between participating countries in research aimed at finding causes, developing cures, and identifying appropriate ways to care for those with neurodegenerative diseases. National health and medical funding bodies in each country funded this work.
