UCL efforts to target dementia showcased in China

UCL's efforts to harness new technology in the battle to combat the "timebomb" of dementia worldwide were showcased in China this week. Professor Alan Thompson, Dean of UCL Brain Sciences, revealed four of the university's top researchers are using apps, neuro-imaging, machine learning, virtual reality and even emojis to help people cope with dementia, depression and other brain conditions. He coupled his review of UCL's cutting edge work in brain sciences with a stark warning about the scale of the problem the world and China faces over dementia. He was speaking at a Shanghai UCL alumni annual gala night during a visit to Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing by the Provost and senior UCL academics to cement the university's ties with China and UCL's strategic partnership with Peking University (PKU). Professor Thompson said the human tragedy of dementia that China faced was huge with the number of people aged over 80 expected to reach 90m by 2050, more than any country in the world. By 2040, the number of Chinese predicted to be affected by dementia will hit 27m at a cost of US dollars $1 trillion a year, "a terrible human cost..an enormous economic cost" to the country, he told the alumni at the gala. "Dementia is a timebomb for nations across the world and that's why brain science is a major priority for UCL," said Professor Thompson, who oversaw UCL's successful bid to be the hub for the £250 million UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI).