Join Dementia Research

Dementia affects 850,000 people in the UK. Every 3.2 minutes someone develops dementia in the UK. The only way to beat the condition is through medical research.

Why is dementia research important now?

Dementia is one of the biggest challenges we face today. The number of people with Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, and other types of dementia, is set to double over the next 30 years.

Research offers hope. It is only through research that we can understand what causes the disease, develop effective treatments, improve care and hopefully one day find a cure. But for research to progress we need more people to take part in more studies.

Our knowledge of dementia currently lags behind that of other major conditions, such as cancer or heart disease. We have to close this gap.

Join Dementia Research, a place to register your interest in participating in dementia research.

People with dementia or memory problems, their carers and anyone who is interested can sign up. You can also sign up for someone else, providing that you have their consent. Registering is the first step in becoming involved in supporting vital research studies across the nation.

How you can help us to beat dementia?

One of the big difficulties researchers face today is recruiting participants for their studies. At the same time, many people are looking for studies to contribute to and take part in, but don't know where to find out about them.

This is why the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) in partnership with Alzheimer Scotland, Alzheimer's Research UK and Alzheimer's Society have developed Join Dementia Research, a service which allows people to register their interest in participating in dementia research and be matched to suitable studies.

Everybody now has that chance to see what dementia research is taking place, both in their local area and across the nation.

The service delivers new opportunities for people to play their part in beating dementia; connecting researchers with people who want to participate in studies.

What types of research could I take part in?

Taking part in a research study can take many forms. There are lots of types of studies, such as those looking at prevention or new ways to diagnose the condition; drug studies trialling new treatments; or surveys aiming to improve the quality of life for people with dementia and their carers.

For more information take a look at the https://www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk/ website.