Dementia is the second leading cause of death in Australia, and it has no cure. It also has a profound effect on communities – it’s estimated that 1.5million Australians are involved in the care of someone with dementia today. Therefore, the more that we know about the ageing process, and dementia specifically, the better. Building this knowledge is the foundation of an initiative we’ve been supporting at the University of Sydney for several years.Ìý
Our partnership centers on StepUp, the University’s volunteer-matching system, which connects citizens to academic researchers. We built on this work throughout 2022, expanding the original platform from focusing specifically on dementia and related illnesses, to including ageing research. The StepUp platform makes it easier to find people willing to discuss their experiences, and empowers those same people to contribute to the discovery of new treatments.
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With the population over 65 years of age set to grow by 54% between 2021 and 2041, expanding research is critical.Ìý
“We would like to acknowledge the ongoing support and partnership ThoughtWorks has provided to StepUp to enable this platform to become an important part of the research infrastructure for dementia researchers. StepUp is now filling a major gap in dementia and ageing related research in Australia.â€
Professor Robyn WardExecutive Dean and Pro-vice Chancellor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney
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(1) https://www.dementia.org.au/statistics
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