Ten years of world class dementia research

A celebration to mark 10 years of the Dementia Prevention Research Clinics (DPRC) called for an extra-large cake.

Nearly 300 people came together to mark the occasion, most of them research participants in one of New Zealand’s most significant longitudinal studies of dementia.

Part of the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research, the DPRC has collected lifestyle information, biological samples and brain scans from more than 600 participants over the past decade at its clinics in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Researchers are using this data to answer new questions about dementia, including the search for biomarkers that could help detect disease earlier.

The DPRC was established by Distinguished Professor Sir Richard Faull and Professor Lynette Tippett, who recognised the need to study dementia by working directly with people.

“The DPRC also provides a connected and caring space for its participants and their whānau. Its 10th birthday was a chance to celebrate the community that has grown around the clinics including funders, donors, and the many people across the University who support the clinic to function well every day,” says Professor Tippett.