We're here for all dementia research in Scotland

The Scottish Dementia Research Consortium is an inclusive community of researchers, healthcare professionals, people living with dementia and anyone else with an interest in research. Our purpose is to celebrate and support all dementia research taking place across the country.

About the SDRC

Scotland’s dementia researchers produce work that is high-quality and high-impact. But we also understand the challenges and barriers in research. The SDRC’s mission is to address these challenges to make dementia and brain health research in Scotland even stronger. We do this by:

1. Celebrating and promoting the work of researchers that is already taking place to a wider audience. This includes other researchers, policy makers, funding bodies and the public.

2. Nurturing and supporting research activity by fostering collaboration, providing professional development opportunities, and helping members build relationships with stakeholders and each other.

What do the SDRC do?

Events

Events

Organising events which enable learning, networking and collaboration. These include our Annual Conference and smaller topic-specific events

Webinars

Webinars

Practical advice on specific elements of dementia/ brain health research or masterclasses for personal or professional development.

 

Publications

Publications

Producing our own reports based on research we have conducted. We create an Annual Report which maps the research landscape in Scotland.

Newsletter

Newsletter

Members get exclusive access to our monthly newsletter which is a round up of the latest news in dementia and brain health research in Scotland

Helping Research Recruitment

Helping Research Recruitment

We help find volunteers for research studies by sharing recruitment with our members, relevant external stakeholders and social media

Funding

Funding

The SDRC has supported numerous funding schemes. For example we recently collaborated with Alzheimer Scotland on the Student Research Programme

Sharing opportunities

Sharing opportunities

A dedicated page on the SDRC website sharing dementia/brain health funding and career opportunties from institutions all over Scotland

Interest Groups

Interest Groups

We’ve created challenge-specific subgroups of the SDRC dedicated to a certain aspect of research. These bring different people together to produce papers and funding applications

Read Latest Blog

Project Update: Kelly Kelly at Celebrating Scottish Research Conference 2024

  Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme: update from 2023 recipient Kelly Kelly    In 2023, Kelly Kelly began her MRes project as part of the Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme. Kelly’s studentship is hosted by the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for...

Research Update: Kelly Kelly MRes Project

  Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme: MRes Project Update from Kelly Kelly     In late 2023, Kelly Kelly began her MRes project as part of the Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme. Kelly’s studentship is hosted by the Alzheimer Scotland...

Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme announces first MRes student

The Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme is excited to announce our first ever MRes student: Kelly Kelly. Kelly’s studentship is hosted by the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice at the University of the West of Scotland. She is supervised by Dr...

Celebrating 10 years of the SDRC

Ten years ago today, on the 28 August 2013, the Scottish Dementia Research Consortium was established at the Surgeon's Hall, Edinburgh. The SDRC was created to enable greater co-ordination by pooling the resources, experience and expertise of the wide-ranging and...

Guest Blog: Rachel Allen

Today's blog is from Rachel Allen, a PhD candidate form the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice at the University of the West of Scotland. Rachel talks about the PhD journey and the process of research. My name is Rachel Allen, and I am in my second year...

Guest Blog: Ahmed Alharthi

Today's blog is from Ahmed Alharthi, who in undertaking a PhD at the University of Glasgow. Ahmed talks about the PhD journey. I am a licenced clinical pharmacist by background, who works with Dr Terry Quinn, a consultant physician and geriatrician in the NHS and a...

Early Career Researcher Profiles

The Scottish dementia and brain health dementia and brain health early career researcher community is both exciting and diverse. The SDRC Annual Report 2022/3 highlighted just some of the innovative research taking place across Scotland in all disciplines from early...

Early Career Researcher Profiles

These Early Career Researcher profiles are some of the researchers that featured in the SDRC Annual Report 2022/23. We will share the rest of these profiles tomorrow, but you can read all profiles, and the rest of the SDRC report here  Lisa Davison  I am a...

Guest Blog: NHS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Research Network

The NHS Research Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network work closely with the SDRC to ensure everyone with a neuroprogressive condition or dementia has the opportunity of taking part in research.  We share the same aim of collaboration and we know that...

Guest Blog: Enabling Research in Care Homes (ENRICH) Scotland

In this guest blog from Enabling research in Care Homes (ENRICH) Scotland, we find out more about the work of the organisation and how they are working with care homes to increase representation in research. This blog is taken from the SDRC Annual Report, which you...

Read Latest News

Research Mapping Results 2023

Every year, the SDRC conducts a mapping exercise of the Scottish dementia and brain health research landscape. We publish results of this which covers who is doing research in Scotland, their grant awards, published papers and international collaborators.  Highlights...

Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme: Award Announcement

The Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme has funded two projects during its 2023/4 round of applications. We are pleased to announce the team that were awarded the second of two awards is Dr Coco Newton from University College London and Prof Anja Maier from...

The Ella Macgregor Award: Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme 2024

The Alzheimer Scotland Student Research Programme is excited to announce the first of two recipients of funding for 2024. This particular award, which will also be known as the Ella Macgregor Award, goes to the student Katie Robertson, supervised by a team led by Prof...

Celebrating Scottish Research Award Winners 2024

On the 13-14 June 2024, the SDRC, NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network and Brain Health ARC held the Celebrating Scottish Research Conference which highlighted and promoted a range of research taking place across the country.  As part of our joint commitment to...

Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice recognised at the Herald Higher Education Awards 2023

Congratulations to the Alzheimer Scotland Centre for Policy and Practice (ASCPP) at the University of the West of Scotland on winning the for Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community at the Herald Higher Education Awards 2023. The specific project was...

The launch of the SDRC Annual Report 2022/23

The SDRC Annual Report 2023, launched at the SDRC Annual Conference on Tuesday 25th April 2023. It outlines what research has been ongoing in dementia and brain health research in Scotland in the past 12 months. It includes the updates from each of the SDRC Research...

Announcement of the Brain Health Alliance for Research Challenge

The SDRC are excited to be part of a new collaborative research alliance, supported by the Scottish Funding Council.  The Scottish Brain Health Alliance for Research Challenge (ARC) is a project that will receive up to £600,000 to create multi-disciplinary,...

Call for new members: Scottish Cognitive Ageing Network

The Scottish Cognitive Ageing Network (SCAN) was established in 2022, aimed at formalising and building on cross-institutional links in cognitive ageing research across Scotland. The inaugural meeting took place at the University of Strathclyde in May, with a second...

New SDRC Executive Committee Member: Dr Leah Macaden

Following the 2022 SDRC Executive Committee election, Dr Leah Macaden has been elected as a new member. Find out more in Leah's biography below. Dr Leah Macaden is a Senior Lecturer in Nursing at the University of Edinburgh with a rich and diverse range of academic,...

SDRC Executive Committee Member: Dr Jennifer Macfarlane

In October 2022, the SDRC held our election to refresh the Executive Committee. We are now able to announce who was successfully voted. Jennifer Macfarlane has been a co-opted member of the SDRC Executive Committee since earlier this year, we are now delighted to...

Get Involved

Have an interest in technology and innovation?

Our Special Interest Group on Technologies for Dementia Prevention and Brain Health bring together people of different experience and disciplines to discuss this topic. The aim of the group is to leverage the diversity of the SDRC to produce papers and funding applications.

Want to share your research?

If you have a research update, want to share your experience/insights on research or celebrate an achievement, write a blog for the SDRC and let the community know!

Our History

The SDRC was launched, with the support of Alzheimer Scotland on 28th August 2013 with the aim of promoting Scotland as one of the best places in the world for dementia research and provide ongoing support for dementia research in Scotland. 

Today, we are ambitious as ever. The SDRC Executive Committee work alongside our members to promote research, encourage collaboration and celebrate the Scottish dementia research community.

Click here to view the SDRC’s Constitution

How do I join the SDRC?

The SDRC membership is open to everyone with an interest in dementia research. Best of all, it’s free! Click the link below for more information and to sign up today.