Programme – September 26th 2023
08:00-08:55 Registration and refreshments
Session 1 Chair: Professor Ewan St John Smith, Pharmacology
08:55-09:00 Welcome
09:00-09:25 David Klenerman – Chemistry
Next generation diagnostics for neuodegenerative disease
09:25-09:50 Barbara Sahakian – Psychiatry
Achieving better brain health and wellbeing in older age and early detection of memory problems
09:50-10:30 Opening Plenary – Cath Mummery – University College London
Emerging therapies in dementia: a new era
10:30-11:00 Coffee
Session 2 Chair: Dr Janet Kumita, Pharmacology
11:00-11:25 Ben Underwood – Psychiatry
How can we improve clinical dementia care now and in the future?
11:25-11:50 Gabriele Kaminski-Schierle – Chemical Engineering & Biotechnology
Direct interaction of 27-hydroxycholeterol and a-synuclein leads to neuronal signalling defects
11:50-12:15 Benjamin Ryskeldi-Falcon – MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology
Structures of pathological protein filaments in dementia
12:15-12:40 Hugh Markus Group – Clinical Neurosciences
Vascular contribution to dementia- the neglected player
12:40-13:10 Early Career Data Blitz
13:10-14:40 Lunch, Exhibition and Poster Session
Session 3
Chair: Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini, Clinical Neurosciences
14:40-15:05 András Lakatos – Clinical Neurosciences
Novel human neural organoid models: interrogation of mechanisms and therapeutic possibilities in neurodegeneration in the multi-omics era
15:05-15:30 Leo Chouliaras – Psychiatry
DNA methylation sequencing in Lewy Body Dementia
15:30-15:35 Bitesize overview of UK Dementia Research Institute at Cambridge
15:35-15:40 Bitesize overview of The ALBORADA Drug Discovery Institute
15:40-15:45 Bitesize overview of NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre
15:45-16:10 Shalom Henderson – MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit & Clinical Neurosciences
Language, brain and disorder – a search for simplicity
16:10-16:40 Afternoon break
Session 4 Chair: Professor Paul Fletcher, Psychiatry
16:40-17:05 Maura Malpetti – Clinical Neurosciences
From brain scans to blood tests – multidisciplinary progress on inflammation in dementia
17:05-17:30 Tim Rittman/Zoe Kourtzi – Clinical Neurosciences/Psychology
AI for better brain health – turning the hype into reality
17:30-17:55 Roger Barker – Clinical Neurosciences
Can we realistically repair the brain in Parkinson’s?
17:55-18:35 Closing Plenary – Sarah Tabrizi – University College London
New genetic therapies for Huntington’s disease – Challenges and opportunities
18:35-18:40 Closing Remarks, Prizes and Acknowledgements
18:40-19:30 Drinks and networking
19:30-21:30 Dinner