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.
Here 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 across our four research themes:
Improving care
By 2040, there will be 1.4 million people living with dementia in the UK, all of whom deserve the very best care.
Care research is focused on improving support for people living with dementia today, as well as those who will be diagnosed in the years to come.
Here are our latest research projects:
Advancing diagnosis
The earlier people with dementia receive their diagnosis, the sooner they can access treatments and support. Current tools for diagnosis are very invasive, expensive, and not specific enough to detect the diseases that are causing dementia.
We are funding diagnosis research which aims to improve how accurately and how early we detect dementia.
Here are our latest research projects:
Understanding the causes
Dementia is an incredibly complicated condition. Alzheimer’s Society is funding various research projects focused on improving our understanding on the causes, ranging from examining waste disposal mechanisms in brain cells, to investigating the impact of the disease on internal structures of the brain.
Here are our latest research projects:
Searching for a cure
Treatment options for people living with dementia are incredibly limited, and to date there is no cure for any type of dementia.
In order to develop new medications for dementia, researchers must first identify the impact of the disease. We're funding research which aims to identify affects and target them with new drugs or treatments.
Here are our latest research projects:
Using Conversation Analysis to inform evidence-based recommendations for mealtime practice for care home-based staff working with people living with a diagnosis of dementia.
Read the research project summary
Lead Investigator: Rosey Meiring
Institution: Hywel Dda University Health Board
Grant type: Alzheimer’s Society Clinician and Healthcare Professional Training Fellowship
Awarded: 2023/24
Exploring the potential of situational judgement tests for attracting and recruiting care home staff suited to caring for people with dementia.
Read the research project summary
Lead Investigator: Dr Kirsty Haunch
Institution: University of Leeds
Grant type: Career Development Grant
Awarded: 2023/24
We're proud to be funding several more projects which are looking for opportunities to improve dementia care.
Using at-home sleep technology to monitor Alzheimer's disease treatments
Lead Investigator: Dr Magdalena Jones
Institution: Imperial College London
Grant type: Clinician and Healthcare Professional Training Fellowship
Awarded: 2022/23
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
Improving driving safety assessments for people with dementia
Lead Investigator: Dr Paul Donaghy
Institution: Newcastle University
Grant type: PhD Studentship
Awarded: 2019/20