Dementia Support Line
Current research projects
Our research aims to understand the underlying causes of dementia, advance dementia diagnosis, improve care, and search for a cure.
Research will beat dementia and will lead to improved diagnosis, effective treatments and the high-quality care that everyone living with dementia deserves.
Below you can find out about a selection of the many research projects that we are funding.
Discover more about our researchers' work and how it will impact people affected by dementia.
Research Themes
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Latest research projects
How can we improve mealtimes for people with dementia living in care homes?
Lead Investigator: Rosey Meiring
Institution: Hywel Dda University Health Board
Grant type: Alzheimer’s Society Clinician and Healthcare Professional Training Fellowship
Awarded: 2023/24
Helping care homes recruit the right staff for dementia care
Lead Investigator: Dr Kirsty Haunch
Institution: University of Leeds
Grant type: Career Development Grant
Awarded: 2023/24
Selected research projects
Improving personalized care planning for people with dementia and carers
Lead Investigator: Dr Sarah Griffiths
Institution: University College London
Grant type: Fellowships and Career Development Grants
Awarded: 2022/23
Using movement and music to deliver enjoyable experiences for people living with dementia and their carers
Lead Investigator: Professor Nicola Carey
Institution: University of Highlands and Islands
Grant type: PhD Studentship
Awarded: 2021/22
Exploring dementia in the South Asian community
Lead Investigator: Dr Naaheed Mukadam
Institution: University College London
Grant type: Senior Fellowship
Awarded: 2019/20
Improving driving safety assessments for people with dementia
Lead Investigator: Dr Paul Donaghy
Institution: Newcastle University
Grant type: PhD Studentship
Awarded: 2019/20
Selected research projects
Developing a new device for diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease within minutes
Lead Investigator: Dr Steven Quinn
Institution: University of York
Grant type: Alzheimer’s Society Project Grant
Awarded: 2022/23
Developing faster, cheaper, and higher quality brain scans for dementia diagnosis
Lead Investigator: Professor Geoff Parker
Institution: University College London
Grant type: Alzheimer’s Society Project Grant
Awarded: 2022/23
Can we use small molecules in blood to diagnose vascular dementia?
Lead Investigator: Dr Eric Harshfield
Institution: University of Cambridge
Grant type: Alzheimer’s Society Research Fellowship
Awarded: 2022/23
Can studying eye changes in people with Down's syndrome help identify those at a higher risk of Alzheimer's?
Lead Investigator: Dr Imre Lengyel
Institution: Queen’s University Belfast
Grant type: Alzheimer’s Society Project Grant
Awarded: 2021/22
Can we predict Alzheimer’s disease and its risk factors from the proteins found in the blood?
Lead Investigator: Dr Riccardo Marioni
Institution: University of Edinburgh
Grant type: Project
Awarded: 2020/21
Spotting the early signs of inherited forms of frontotemporal dementia
Lead Investigator: Dr Martina Bocchetta
Institution: University College London
Grant type: Junior Fellowship
Awarded: 2019/20
Latest research projects
How do faulty blood vessels impact brain function in dementia?
Lead Investigator: Dr Harry Pritchard
Institution: University of Manchester
Grant type: Dementia Research Leader Fellowship
Awarded: 2023/24
How does the loss of protein building blocks link to FTD?
Lead Investigator: Dr Ryan West
Institution: University of Sheffield
Grant type: Project Grant
Awarded: 2023/24
Selected research projects
Can we target the brain’s immune system as a potential therapy for frontotemporal dementia?
Lead Investigator: Dr Sarah Ryan
Institution: University of Manchester
Grant type: Dementia Research Leader Fellowship
Awarded: 2022/23
Understanding how tau protein jumps between nerve cells in the brain
Lead Investigator: Professor Amritpal Mudher
Institution: University of Southampton
Grant type: Project Grant
Awarded: 2021/22
Exploring the waste disposal system in brain cells and what it means for Alzheimer’s disease and Frontotemporal dementia
Lead Investigator: Dr Gemma Lace
Institution: University of Salford
Grant type: PhD
Awarded: 2020/21
Predicting when mild cognitive impairment progresses to dementia in the clinic
Lead investigator: Professor Karl Herholz
Institution: University of Manchester
Grant type: Project grant
Awarded: 2019/20
Selected research projects
Designing drugs to stop overactive immune system in Alzheimer’s disease
Lead Investigator: Dr Wioleta Zelek
Institution: Cardiff University
Grant type: PhD Studentship
Awarded: 2021/22
Can a man-made enzyme trapped in gold particles become a new therapy for Alzheimer’s disease?
Lead Investigator: Dr Hui-Rong Jiang
Institution: University of Strathclyde
Grant type: PhD Studentship
Awarded: 2021/22
Understanding the effects of the diabetes type 2 drug Metformin on models of Alzheimer’s disease
Lead Investigator: Dr Teresa Niccoli
Institution: University College London
Grant type: PhD Studentship
Awarded: 2020/21
Investigating how to clear toxic amyloid protein from the brain in Alzheimer’s disease
Lead Investigator: Professor K. Ravi Acharya
Institution: University of Bath
Grant type: PhD Studentship
Awarded: 2020/21