Blog: The Brain Dialogues, filtered by tag: CHeBA

HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au For the first time in three years, seniors from across Sydney were able to attend an in-house version of the Eastern Suburbs Older Persons’ Mental Health Service’s annual forum which seeks to encourage a paradigm shift in the approach to ageing. The official opening of the Secrets of Ageing with Resilience forum was made by Deputy Chair of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) Dr Debra Graves, who acknowledged the importance of the theme and its relationship to positive mental health promoting healthy communities. Professor Henry… Read More

Helping people with dementia and their care partners move forward and live positively after a diagnosis of dementia is what drives Nora Wong, Research Officer with the Cognisance consortium. Nora hopes that her research will challenge negative stereotypes and lead to better post-diagnostic support for people living with dementia.   How did you first get into research? Students enrolled in selected undergraduate psychology courses are offered the opportunity to volunteer for psychological research studies in exchange for partial course credit. This was my favourite pastime as an… Read More

HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au More than 400 people from around the globe joined together online for the 2021 Eastern Suburbs Older Persons’ Mental Health Service’s healthy ageing forum. Mr Michael Still, Chairman of the South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, officially opened the Keeping Connected: Social Health and Ageing forum and acknowledged that 2021 had been a complex year for everyone, with COVID-19 remaining the centre of our lives. “We are almost learning anew that looking after our mental health is vital to our happiness and wellbeing – not just for ourselves but… Read More

In 1990 the UN established the 1st of October as the International Day of Older Persons. Since then, this day has acted as a reminder that older people must be granted the opportunity to play an active role in society, more so as the number of people over 60 is expected to reach 1 in 5 by 2050. The 2021 theme “Digital Equity for All Ages” predicates the need for access and inclusivity in the digital world so that older adults can meaningfully participate in our increasingly technology-driven world. Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), Dr Katya Numbers… Read More

UNSW Medicine & Health Development Manager, Ruby Pradhan, is a proud member of the CHeBA Change Makers - Next Gen Philanthropy program. Change Makers are an exclusive group of next generation philanthropists aged 18-40 who are supporting critical research into Alzheimer's disease and other dementias for a brighter future in ageing.   What does it mean to you personally to be a ‘philanthropist’? I like to think that anyone can be a philanthropist regardless of their net worth or financial status so for me being able to do the little I can whether it’s through my time, experience or… Read More

UNSW Sydney Annual Giving Coordinator, Lily Calderbank, is a proud member of the CHeBA Change Makers - Next Gen Philanthropy program. Change Makers are an exclusive group of next generation philanthropists aged 18-40 who are supporting critical research into Alzheimer's disease and other dementias for a brighter future in ageing.   What does it mean to you personally to be a ‘philanthropist’? To be honest, not much. When I hear the word philanthropist I always think of someone like Bill Gates. I suppose I would label myself a supporter or advocate. What is your hope as a Change Maker –… Read More

HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au In-kind partner of The Dementia Momentum since 2015, KPMG Sydney, has committed to continued partnership to support the initiative led by UNSW Sydney’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA). The Dementia Momentum celebrated its anniversary with KPMG Sydney hosting an exclusive lunch for major donors and corporate partners of the initiative at their Barangaroo offices on Wednesday, 2 June 2021. The event, which was the first to be held for The Dementia Momentum since the global pandemic began and sponsored by private markets finance and investment… Read More

By Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty AO Co-Director Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), UNSW Sydney and Director, Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration Having been a professor of ageing and mental health for over 30 years, I know intimately how costly it is to find and screen research participants. A lack of participants can result in drug trials being shut down. As a researcher, my passion is to find treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, a type of dementia and better ways to help people with dementia and their families. Without appropriate participants, or a large enough sample of… Read More

A PhD student in CHeBA’s Genetics & Epigenomics Group, Mary Revelas is researching the genetics of exceptional longevity to better understand successful ageing. Her work hopes to provide clarity on the genes strongly associated. Ultimately, an understanding of both genetic and lifestyle factors will be needed to disentangle the underlying mechanisms of long and healthy lives.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? Given my favourite school subjects were Biology and Science, it seemed natural to undertake a Bachelor of Science when continuing education after completing… Read More

A PhD Candidate in the Brain Ageing Research Laboratory at CHeBA, Chao Dong is investigating an area of brain ageing that may lead to better understanding of how genetic risk factors are related to ageing. Chao hopes that her research will not only help people suffering from age-related disease, but also lead to disease prevention and long-term health outcomes.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? My study background is in Biomedical engineering. When I completed my Bachelor’s degree, I was eager to pursue further studies. I have always been very interested in the… Read More