Thirst for Knowledge: Hydration & Dementia

08/21/23 • 37 min

3 Listeners

In this podcast Dr Anna Volkmer engages in a captivating discussion with a panel of researchers and experts from the University of East Anglia and Age UK. The focus? Hydration – a seemingly simple yet profoundly impactful aspect of well-being, especially for older individuals and those living with dementia. -- Sharing their research, learning and efforts to deliver practical changes are: Ellice Parkinson, PhD Student. With a background in clinical psychology and working in Huntington’s disease but having now worked in dementia research for almost 10 years, and now focussed on Hydration care of older people, and people living with dementia (and quickly approaching the final year of her PhD at UEA). Dan Skipper, CEO of Age UK Norwich. Dan is an active part of a range of forums focusing on improving the quality of later life in the city and county, including Norwich Older People’s Forum, Norfolk Older People’s Strategic Partnership, and the Norwich Institute of Healthy Ageing. Amy Zile, PhD Student whose work is focussed on Hydration in older adults who live in the community. Mental health and wellbeing of students and academic staff. Dr Florence Jimoh, Senior Knowledge Exchange Associate passionate about hydration in older adults who are at increased risk of dehydration due to physiological and cognitive changes. Her research has involved working with stakeholders to develop a Drinks Diary that some care home residents can use to monitor their fluid intake. -- As we age, maintaining proper hydration becomes more crucial than ever, with far-reaching effects on physical health, cognitive function, and overall quality of life. When it comes to individuals grappling with dementia, the significance of hydration takes on an even more intricate dimension. Join us as we dive into the intricate tapestry of hydration science and its intersection with aging and dementia – and most importantly, exploring the research undertaken by this group to understand and address the challenges. Resources discussed: Improving drinking for people living with dementia in care homes - Access to the FREE dehydration awareness posters for public and clinical areas - https://bit.ly/44kIudY UEA Hydrate Group - Access to the FREE DrinkIt resources and information about the UEA Hydrate Group - https://bit.ly/3shiJ0V -- Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk -- Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with full captions on our YouTube Channel -- This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.

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Reshaping Misfolding Enzymes

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Dr Sam Moxon has been working on a new grant and exploring how to create a spin out innovation biotech company. This work led him to meet Matthias Alder, who we just had to get on the podcast. In this show we hear from Gain Therapeutics CEO Matthias Alder. He is leading a biotech company engaged in the development of a potentially disease-modifying therapy for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Hoping to unlock new treatments for difficult to treat disorders with their SEE-TxTM supercomputer-driven, drug discovery platform targeting allosteric binding sites. There is a lot of work underway to explore modifying enzymes that have misfolded, losing their functional structure. Misfolding can lead to various diseases, including neurodegenerative disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. Researchers in this field seek, and Gain Therapeutics study the mechanisms behind enzyme misfolding, explore the consequences of misfolding on cellular functions, and develop strategies to correct or reshape these misfolded enzymes. By gaining insights into this process, scientists hope to discover potential therapeutic interventions for treating diseases associated with misfolded enzymes. https://www.gaintherapeutics.com/ -- Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk -- Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with full captions on our YouTube Channel – https://youtu.be/uVmNbqWKBvM -- This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.

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Managing Family Life & A Research Career - Reunion

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In this special episode of the Dementia Researcher Podcast, delivered as part of our managing family life and research week, we bring you a reunion that promises insightful reflections and inspiring progress. Join host Professor Heather Mortiboys as they sit down with four exceptional researchers who graced our show five years ago. Back then, they shared their perspectives on the intricate dance between a demanding research career and the joys and challenges of family life. Now, five years later, we've invited them back to revisit those conversations and explore how their journeys have evolved. Listen in as they openly discuss the strategies they've employed, the hurdles they've overcome, and the changes they've embraced. Gain fresh insights into how they've managed to thrive in both their academic pursuits and family responsibilities. -- This week’s guests are: Dr Gemma Lace, is Associate Dean Academic (Student Experience) & Lead of the Molecular Biology Dementia Group at the University of Salford. Dr Jo Barnes, is Associate Professor / Faculty Grade Tutor (Research) at University College London. Working on addressing the relationship of imaging markers of presumed cerebrovascular disease and more classical markers of dementia. Professor Tammaryn Lashley, is Professor of Neuroscience and Director of Research in the Queen Square Brain Bank at University College London. Dr Angelique Mavrodaris, is a Clinical Research Fellow & Consultant in Public Health Medicine exploring Ageing, dementia, and infectious diseases from a global public health perspective. Full biographies on all our guests and a transcript can be found on our website https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk -- Like what you hear? Please review, like, and share our podcast - and don't forget to subscribe to ensure you never miss an episode – and if you prefer to watch rather than listen, you’ll find a video version of this podcast with full captions on our YouTube Channel -- This podcast is brought to you by University College London / UCLH NIHR Biomedical Research Centre in association with Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society and Race Against Dementia who we thank for their ongoing support.