UCL and Osaka University tackle ageing and dementia in joint symposium

A Partnership Built on Collaboration 

The symposium built on long-standing ties between UCL and Osaka University. During our visit to Osaka in October 2023, researchers identified shared priorities in neuroscience and related fields. Professors Gill Livingston from UCL and Kokoro Shirai and Manabu Ikeda from Osaka led the organisation, with support from UCL’s Global Engagement team. 

Tackling Global Challenges Together 

With Japan’s rapidly ageing population—over a third aged 65 or older—and rising dementia rates, the symposium highlighted the urgency of collaborative research. The UK faces similar challenges, creating opportunities to share knowledge and develop solutions that improve prevention, care, and treatment. 

The symposium deepened collaboration in dementia research, supported early career researchers through interdisciplinary partnerships, and developed sustainable, impactful initiatives to advance prevention, care, and treatment strategies. 

Key Topics and Discussions 

Day 1 featured presentations and discussions across six themes: 

• Social isolation and dementia
• Posterior cortical atrophy
• Dementia-friendly environments
• Epidemiology and population health
• Neurophysiology and neuroimaging
• Sleep, treatment, and robotics in dementia care

Researchers focused on keeping people with dementia integrated in their communities, using approaches from neuroscience, public health, and engineering. Group discussions identified priorities for future research. 

Day 2 focused on scaling up collaboration. Panels explored funding opportunities and strategies for sustaining long-term projects. Speakers included experts from the Medical Research Council, JSPS London, and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation. 

This event marked an important step in the partnership between UCL and Osaka University, laying the foundation for impactful research and global solutions to ageing and dementia care.