UCL trial profiled in Jon Snow documentary on life with Alzheimer’s

Jon is best known for presenting Channel 4 News between 1989 and 2021. He decided to open up about his Alzheimer’s diagnosis to raise awareness of dementia, which is the UK’s biggest killer and affects around a million people in the UK alone.

In the documentary, viewers see Jon coming out of retirement for one last investigation to uncover a mining disaster affecting local communities in Zambia, where he and his wife, Dr Precious Lunga, spend much of their time.

His news instinct is strong, and he still wears a tie daily, but his memory is fading. 

In the documentary, Jon is seen speaking with Professor Jonathan Rohrer (UCL Dementia Research Centre), a consultant at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) and Professor of Neurology at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology. Professor Rohrer explains that there is currently no cure for dementia, but there are some treatments.  

In the film Jon Snow says: “At the beginning I wanted to hide it, there’s so much prejudice. Any sort of hint of mental decay, you're sort of dead. There are moments when it pops up but it's not an all day, every day condition, and that's what I cling onto.”

Jon took part in a clinical trial led by UCL researchers and run at the NHNN and explains he is willing to do more if there are other trials he could join. Together, UCL and the NHNN form a centre of excellence for diagnosis and treatment of patients with cognitive problems that is recognised internationally for groundbreaking research in dementia. 

UCL-led trials have significantly advanced clinical understanding of dementia. Historic breakthroughs, such as the discovery of the amyloid pathway that led to the first disease-modifying Alzheimer's drugs, would not have happened without the involvement of clinical trial participants such as Jon.

Professor Rohrer commented: “We are deeply grateful to Jon for using his powerful storytelling ability to help break down stigma and by bravely sharing his own personal experience.”

Professor Cath Mummery (UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology) added: “Patients who get involved with research are doing an immeasurable service in moving treatment forward and giving hope to the many millions people impacted by Alzheimer’s disease.”

To register your interest in participating in dementia research, visit Join Dementia Research, a UK-wide initiative spearheaded by a UCL academic.

‘Jon Snow: A Last Big Story’ was first broadcast on Channel 4 on Saturday 20 June 2026. It is available on demand here.

Links

• Professor Jonathan Rohrer’s academic profile
• UCL Dementia Research Centre
• UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
• UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences
• More about dementia research at UCL
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN)

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• Still from the documentary shows Jon Snow (left) and Dr Precious Lunga speaking with Professor Jonathan Rohrer (right)