#GeorgeTalks: Brain Health as a global priority

Speakers

• Professor Sharon Naismith, Leonard P Ullman Chair in Psychology at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney, Australia

  Professor Sharon Naismith is a Clinical Neuropsychologist, NHMRC Dementia Leadership Fellow and holds the Leonard P Ullman Chair in Psychology at the Charles Perkins Centre, University of Sydney. She also Heads the Healthy Brain Ageing Program at the Brain and Mind Centre, a one-of-its-kind early intervention research clinic for dementia.

  Prof Naismith's work focuses on the mechanisms by which modifiable risk factors for dementia such as depression, sleep disturbance, and cardiovascular disease impact brain health and whether novel interventions targeting these factors have cognitive benefits. 

  

• Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty, Director of the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (Assessment and Better Care) and Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at UNSW, Sydney, Australia

  Scientia Professor Henry Brodaty AO MB BS MD DSc FRACP FRANZCP is Scientia Professor of Ageing and Mental Health, University of New South Wales; Consultant Psychogeriatrician, Aged Care Psychiatry and Head of the Memory Disorders Clinic, Prince of Wales Hospital.
  He is the Director of the Dementia Centre for Research Collaboration (Assessment and Better Care) and Co-Director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing at UNSW.

  Henry is currently President of International Psychogeriatric Association. He has served on several New South Wales and Commonwealth committees related to ageing and dementia. Henry is also the past chairman of Alzheimer’s Disease International, representing over 75 national Alzheimer Associations and past president of Alzheimer’s Australia and Alzheimer’s Australia (NSW).

  

• Professor Suvarna Alladi, Professor of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India

  Professor Suvarna Alladi is Professor of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India. Dr Alladi was a Commonwealth research fellow in cognitive and behavioural neurology at Cambridge UK. She established one of the first memory clinics in India that provided multi-disciplinary care to more than 3000 patients with dementia.

  Her areas of interest are Frontotemporal dementia, atypical Alzheimer’s disease and vascular cognitive impairment. Dr Alladi’s group coordinated a multicentric study that adapted cognitive tests for different Indian languages and for illiterates. Her work also focuses on investigating the influence of life-course experiences that include bilingualism, education and social engagement on cognitive resilience.

  

• Ms Audrey Lee, Consumer Representative, Sydney, Australia

  Ms Audrey Lee has contributed to several consumer groups and is a member of The George Institute’s Global Brain Health initiative. Audrey is a retired Solicitor, with experience on 2 consecutive ethics committees over 6 years, as well as not-for-profit community organisations. Audrey stopped working and other commitments to care for her husband when he deteriorated from worsening dementia and subsequently required nursing home care and died.