What is the point of this?
There are two main points to this event:
- Share information on some of the latest research taking place – in a way that everyone can understand.
- Raise much needed funding for Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, Race Against Dementia and The Lewy Body Society.
You can find out more about these four amazing organisations and their work on our charities page.
Who is this event for?
Everyone and anyone who is interested in finding out more about some of the latest research taking place in the UK and overseas – kind of like a dementia conference for everyone. Whilst some of the researchers work on complicated things, we aim to ensure it will be understandable to everyone, even if science isn’t your thing. If you are a researcher or healthcare professional, we hope this will be of interest to you too.
What will I see if I join the Chatathon on the 2nd December?
Adam Smith will be acting as host for the whole 12 hour+ marathon session. He will be chatting with 60+ researchers from all fields of dementia research, using video chat – live streamed on the Dementia Researcher YouTube Channel. Meeting in small groups, and generally themed by their work, they will ‘drop-in’ throughout the day, discussing their research, the latest hot topics in their field and how they are working to beat the disease and improve the lives of people affected.
Will I be able to ask questions?
Yes! Simply post the question using live chat, and Adam will put them to the guests presenting at the time. You can ask questions anonymously.
Will the researchers be able to see or hear me?
No, your camera and microphone are not used, and are disabled while you watch.
Are the researchers real people, and can I trust what they say?
All the researchers joining our Chatathon are real, professionally trained people, conducting ethically approved research studies in the UK, USA, Australia and elswhere in the world. Details on them, where they work, what they do, and links to their social media can be found on our ‘meet the researchers’ page.
Can I get advice, or discuss my own concerns and situation?
Sadly not, we will go our best to answer general questions, but if you need advice or are concerned about yourself or a loved one, you should contact you family doctor or call one of the charity helplines, details on advise from Alzheimer’s Research UK can be found here.
Can I join at any time?
Yes, a schedule of who is appearing and the topic they will be discussing is available on our schedule page. Please feel free to ‘drop-in’ and watch the parts that are of interest to you.
Do I need to register in advance?
No, the Chatathon live-stream links will activate at 9am on the 2nd December 2022.
Can you listen even if you don’t have a computer?
We wish you could! But sadly, we can’t think if a solution to this issue at the moment. However, we will make recordings of each session and release them later as an audio download.
I am busy on the 2nd December, are you recording the event?
Yes. We will release each of the topic themed discussions as videos via YouTube as soon as possible after the event ends.
Is this event free?
Yes and no! You do not have to pay to attend this event. However, the host and researchers are giving up their time freely, in the hope that you will choose to make a donation, using the donation link at this top of this page.
How do I donate, who gets the money, and what will they do with it?
You can donate through the Charities Trust page created by the organiser, Adam Smith. Use the link provided in the menu above. The money will be equally distrubuted amongst the four charities who are all registered in the United Kingdom.
I would like to help, what can I do?
Tell your family, friends and colleagues and donate!
We want as many people to watch as possible, so please tell everyone. We have created a few images and posters which you could use, they can be downloaded here (to follow).
If you are interested in participating in research, here are a few links which were discussed during the event, which we hope you will take a look:
- UK Dementia Research Study Matching Service – www.joindementiaresearch.nihr.ac.uk
- US Dementia Research Study Matching Service – https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/research_progress/clinical-trials/trialmatch
- Australian Dementia Research Study Matching Service – https://www.stepupfordementiaresearch.org.au/
- UK Brains for Dementia Research – https://bdr.alzheimersresearchuk.org/
- UK Biobank – https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/
- FTD Talk at UCL – https://www.ftdtalk.org/
- UK Dementia Research Institute – https://ukdri.ac.uk/
- NIHR Dementia Researcher, a network for early career researchers – https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk/
Who is organising this, and how to I contact them?
The event is being organised by Adam Smith, you can find out more about Adam on our meet the researchers page. He can be contacted via email on adam.smith@ucl.ac.uk or on Twitter @BetterResearch
If we think of more questions, we will add replies here….
I would like to thank Ben Schlaepfer for supporting this idea and organising the website. I have worked with Ben for 10 years, and he does amazing work. I highly recommend him, you can contact Ben to discuss your requirements on ben@mode2.ltd