Meeting on Alzheimer Research
During one of few sunny days in November, about 290 Alzheimer researchers and other interested people from all over Sweden gathered in Aula Medica. It was Center for Alzheimer Research that had invited to the Swedish Meeting for Alzheimer research on 20 November.
The aim of the day was to create an opportunity for meetings, discussions and exchanges of ideas and knowledge between all those involved in research to solve Alzheimer's conundrum.
Dean KI Syd (South), Maria Eriksdotter opened the meeting and then the Board of Center for Alzheimer Research introduced themselves, their research and their hopes on this day. On the board are Maria Lindskog (Director), Dorota Religa, Chengxuan Qiu and Maria Ankarcrona (Chairman), all from the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society.
The sun found its way through the windows of the auditorium and spread a hopeful light in the premises. Also the scientists who lectured were hopeful. It was a busy schedule with effective pace throughout the day.
Several of Sweden's prominent researchers were given the opportunity to present the latest in their research in twenty minutes. First up was Oscar Hansson from Lund University, Lars Nyberg from Umeå University and Miia Kivipelto from KI. In connection with the lectures, there were also opportunities for questions which opened up to rewarding discussions.
In the second session, some twenty selected PhD students and researchers had to present their posters on stage in two minutes during a so-called speed presentation. Then it was time for lunch and the poster session. There were vivid discussions around the more than 60 posters, during the two hours that were included in the programme.
The afternoon continued with research presentations. Now it was time for Grégoria Kalpouzoz from KI, Henrietta Nielsen from Stockholm University, Peter Nilsson from KTH and SciLifeLab, Ingmar Skoog from the University of Gothenburg and Angel Cedazo-Minguez from KI and Sanofi.
After the coffee break, the title was "living with Alzheimer's disease" and Secretary-General Liselotte Jansson presented the Alzheimerfoundation and had a dialogue with Anders and Madeleine Grankvist, about their lives since Anders, 52 years old, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease last Summer.
Finally, Dag Selin from Uppsala University, Marianne Schultzberg from KI and Per Hammarström from Linköping University, lectured before the Board of Directors of the Center for Alzheimer Research summed up the day. The day featured extensive research with biomarkers, proteins, preventive health and PET-Imaging.
- The best thing about the day was that researchers from all over Sweden got to meet, says Maria Lindskog, director of Center for Alzheimer Research.
- Although we hope for a breakthrough in the possibility of treating the disease soon, there is still so much that we do not understand. To have a chance to discuss with other researchers in the field provides new perspectives on one's own research but also the opportunity to build on each other's knowledge and see collaborations to enable a broader perspective on research.
