UKDTN joins Alzheimer’s Society Annual Conference 2026
The UK Dementia Trials Network (UKDTN) was pleased to join the Alzheimer’s Society Annual Conference 17 September 2026, bringing together more than 450 delegates and 40 speakers to discuss the future of dementia research, diagnosis, treatment, health and social care.
The conference came at a timely moment for dementia in the UK. Just days before the meeting, Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s father, Kenneth Roy Burnham, passed away from Alzheimer’s disease, bringing the realities of dementia and the challenges of care into sharp public focus. Last week was also marked by the UK Government news on recruitment for a national Dementia Tsar, while a new report from The King’s Fund and Alzheimer’s Society called for dementia care to be transformed with the same ambition and system-wide approach that has driven progress in cancer care.
In this context, the conference provided an opportunity to reflect on the rapid progress being made in dementia research and on the work still needed to translate that progress into meaningful opportunities and better outcomes for people affected by dementia.
From despair to hope: the new era of dementia research
A key highlight was Professor Catherine Mummery’s talk, “From Despair to Hope: The New Era of Dementia Research.”
Prof. Mummery highlighted how the dementia research landscape is changing rapidly, with 158 therapies now being trialled for Alzheimer’s disease, alongside major advances in biomarkers, diagnosis and emerging treatments.
A central message was the importance of access to research. People visiting memory clinics want to know about clinical trials and have opportunities to participate, but access remains inconsistent across communities. More needs to be done to ensure research opportunities reach people across different ages, demographic groups and ethnic backgrounds.
Prof. Mummery also highlighted the potential for the UK to play a leading role in dementia research, diagnosis, treatment and care, while stressing that systems need to evolve to keep pace with scientific progress.
UKDTN expertise across the conference
UKDTN’s contribution extended beyond the dedicated clinical trials session, with expertise from across the Network represented throughout the conference programme.
Professor Charles Marshall, Professor Vanessa Raymont, Dr Chineze Ivenso, Professor Ross Dunne and Professor Bernadette McGuinness contributed to sessions covering topics including diagnosis, prevention, brain health, mild cognitive impairment and the future of dementia research.
The diagnosis session focused on opportunities to improve early and accurate detection, including developments in diagnostics and the potential role of blood biomarkers.
The Prevention, Brain Health and Mild Cognitive Impairment session considered how emerging developments in biomarkers, clinical trials and treatments could support earlier identification, risk reduction and access to research and future treatments.
Together, these contributions demonstrate the breadth of expertise within the UKDTN community and the role that UKDTN Member and Affiliate sites are playing across the wider dementia research landscape.
Making the UK the go-to place for novel dementia clinical trials
UKDTN was also directly represented in a dedicated session exploring “Making the UK the go-to place for novel dementia clinical trials: challenges and progress.”
The session brought together people with lived experience of dementia, UKDTN, and industry partners, highlighting how collaboration across the clinical trials ecosystem can help strengthen research in the UK.
Sittana Abdelmagid, an Alzheimer’s Society UKDTN Dementia Research Nurse, opened the session by discussing the challenges facing dementia clinical trials in the UK and the role of the Dementia Research Nurses Programme in addressing them.
Igor Camargo-Fontana shared how UKDTN is working with industry to help transform the UK clinical trials landscape, while Pauline Namaganda from Roche discussed challenges in trial delivery and recruitment, including efforts to improve diversity and access to dementia research.
The session also featured powerful contributions from Roger and Anne Marshall, who shared their lived experience of participating in clinical trials.
Together, these perspectives highlighted the importance of building a clinical trials environment where research opportunities are accessible to more people, across more communities, and where taking part in research can become a more routine part of dementia care.
Connecting with the dementia research community
UKDTN also hosted a stand at the conference, providing an opportunity to connect directly with attendees and share more about the Network and our mission.
Representing the UKDTN Coordinating Centre, Adam Foster and Sarah Kate Kenny spoke with attendees throughout the day, connecting with people from across the dementia research community and discussing opportunities to collaborate, participate in and support dementia clinical trials.
The science is creating new hope. The challenge now is to make sure that hope becomes an opportunity for people affected by dementia across the UK.
