Key information
Date and times
5-7 February, 2024
Location
Online
Registration fee
Internal Imperial College (staff/PhD students) and UK DRI participants: £120
Imperial College MSc students: £60
External Participants (academic): £200
External Participants (non-academic): £500
Application deadline
Applications are now open and will close on 31 January 2025
Please note: if you wish to pay via invoice the deadline to apply is 15 January 2025.
If you have any questions please contact email s.ahmadi-abhari@imperial.ac.uk
Course Organisers
Professor Abbas Dehghan
Dr Sara Ahmadi-Abhari
Course overview
With ageing of the populations and increasing numbers of people living with dementia worldwide, there is growing interest in the academic and pharmaceutical industry sectors, as well as governmental and non-governmental organizations, in dementia research. This course provides an overview of the cutting-edge research techniques employed in the evolving field of dementia research in population-based studies as well as the latest advances in research findings and data analytic methods.
Upon completion of the course the participants will obtain a grounding in the current status and future directions in dementia research driven by brain imaging modalities, molecular epidemiology, and research in other biomarkers. The scientific foundation in dementia research developed through the course will aid in better understanding of the applications, strengths and limitations of the research techniques; how data is obtained, scientifically presented, and interpreted; how mechanistic insights are derived; and how diagnostic or therapeutic targets are identified. The knowledge base and networking opportunities provided through the course can play a pivotal role in developing novel research ideas in the epidemiological, basic-science, clinical, and translational research fields.
The course would be of interest to PhD students, post-doctoral researchers, and other population-based and bench researchers in academia, public health policy, as well as the pharmaceutical industry sector. This course provides the opportunity for basic researchers to get familiar with epidemiologic and population-based resources. Material covered in the course provide an understanding of the methods employed in population-based dementia research which is of direct interest to researchers from the epidemiology and computer/data science backgrounds. With distinguished researchers in the field as guest lecturers and participants coming from various disciplines, including lab-based sciences, data science, and epidemiological backgrounds, the course offers an excellent platform to foster collaborations and promote transdisciplinary research.
Course organisers
Schedule of fees
Internal Imperial College (staff/PhD students) and UK DRI participants: £120
Imperial College MSc students: £60
External Participants (academic): £200
External Participants (non-academic): £500
To apply applicants will be asked to send a CV and short statement (max 300 words) explaining reasons for attending the course.
Timetable of keynote lectures
| Date | Time (UK, GMT+1) |
Title |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 5 February |
10:00 - 10:30 | Introduction |
| 10:30 - 11:45 | Dementia from clinical perspective and diagnosis essentials | |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | Modifiable and Lifestyle risk factors for dementia | |
| 14:00 - 15:00 | Biological mechanisms implicated in the development of Alzheimer's disease and dementia | |
| 15:30 - 16:30 | Socioeconomic inequalities in development of dementia | |
| Day 2 6 February |
10:00 - 11:30 | Fluid biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and dementia |
| 12:00 - 13:00 | Role of proteomics in dementia research and diagnosis | |
| 14:00 - 15:15 | Neuroimaging: Introduction to structural, functional and molecular imaging in dementia research and clinical practice | |
| 15:30 - 16:29 | Cutting-edge diffusion MRI analytics for white matter assessment of neuroinflammation, axonal degeneration and demyelination | |
| 17:00 - 18:00 | Role of PET imaging in dementia research and diagnosis | |
| Day 3 7 February |
10:00 - 11:00 | Role of structural MRI imaging in dementia research and diagnosis |
| 11:30 - 12:30 | Role of genomics in dementia research and diagnosis | |
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Role of metabolomics in dementia research | |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | Pharmacological and Non-pharmacological interventions in prevention and treatment of dementia | |
| 16:30 - 17:30 | Drug repurposing for prevention and treatment of dementia |
Please note there will be practical exercises between lectures
Keynote speakers
Professor Cornelia van Duijn (University of Oxford)
Professor Gill Livingston (UCL)
Professor Magdalena Sastre (Imperial College London)
Professor Maxime Descoteaux (Imeka/ University of Sherbrooke)
Professor Mika Kivimaki (University College London)
Professor Henrik Zetterberg (University of Gothenburg, University College London)
Dr Amanda Heslegrave (University College London)
Professor Paul Matthews (Director of the Rosalind Franklin Institute / Imperial College London)
Please note there may be changes in speakers. Any changes will be communicated on the website and by email to all applicants who have registered.