Lay summary
New Zealand’s population is ageing. With increasing life expectancy for all ethnicities, the number of New Zealanders with Alzheimer’s disease is projected to double by 2050. The current focus on identification and treatment of amyloid, a characteristic feature of Alzheimer’s disease, does not consider risk or protective factors that promote early disease development and progression. As Aotearoa has a unique cultural, lifestyle and environmental context, it is vital we investigate determinants and biomarkers for earliest disease-related changes in a representative New Zealand sample. The aim of this fellowship is to use Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scans to identify specific early and novel biomarkers that best predict dementia, with a particular focus on cerebral blood vessel health. Probing multiple aspects of brain structure and function, combined with machine learning, I will build a dementia prediction model, which could identify new aspects of vascular dysfunction to target for delaying or preventing dementia.