Dr Dennis Chan on spatial navigation and early detection of Alzheimer’s

Dr Dennis Chan's primary area of clinical and academic interest is the detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in its earliest stages, prior to the onset of dementia. Early disease detection is critical to the future success of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in delaying or preventing the onset of dementia. 

In collaboration with other UCL colleagues, he has pioneered the application of novel spatial tests, including the use of virtual and augmented reality, in assessing spatial navigation and the potential early onset of Alzheimer's disease. 

Links:

• View Dr Dennis Chan's academic profile
• Read our Meet the Expert chat with Dr Chan here
• New study uses augmented reality to test for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease

Biography

Dr Chan qualified in medicine from the University of Cambridge. In addition to his medical degree, he holds two research doctorates. He obtained a PhD under the supervision of Professor John O'Keefe (University College London), who was later awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, and an MD under Professor Rossor, Institute of Neurology, London. From 2014 - 2019 he was based at the University of Cambridge and in 2019 he moved his NHS work back to Sussex, and his academic work back to UCL.

His work has been published in the top research journals including Nature and The Lancet. Dr Chan receives research grant funding from the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Alzheimer's Research UK, Alzheimer's Society, Innovate UK, and the Alan Turing Institute. His research has been extensively covered by the national and international news media.