Dr Marianne Coleman – Dementia Eyecare Pathway This project aims to help people living with dementia see well so they can live well, stay active, and remain socially connected for as long as possible. Good vision supports brain health, yet many people with dementia in residential aged care miss out on regular eye tests and appropriate eyecare, despite many vision problems being preventable or treatable. The project will develop a dementia eyecare pathway — a clear, coordinated approach that ensures eye health, comfort, and vision needs are recognised and addressed. By working with all those involved in dementia care, the pathway will support equitable access to eyecare in residential aged care and help ensure that everyone’s right to sight is upheld.

Key publications (click the title to view)
Breaking down barriers to accessing dementia-friendly eyecare
Eyecare as a primary need for people living with dementia

Listen to the “Is this dementia?” podcast episode all about eyes! Click here to listen

Sahaya Jesto – Co-designing Workforce-responsive Education for the Management of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) This project addresses a critical priority in aged mental health and aged care. BPSD present complex clinical, emotional, and ethical challenges, and ongoing national reforms have highlighted persistent gaps in nursing education, confidence, and practice readiness. Using a mixed-methods approach, this PhD research examines nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and experiences across care settings and places co-design at the centre of educational development by actively engaging nurses, dementia experts, academics, and stakeholders. Guided by a person-centred, trauma-informed, and capability-focused framework, the research aims to generate evidence-based, contextually relevant educational interventions that strengthen workforce capability, inform policy, and support the delivery of safe, dignified, and high-quality dementia care.

Mahika Rai – Dementia Eye Care Pathway for Residential Aged Care Assisting with engagement and communication activities for the Dementia Eye Care Pathway project, led by Dr Marianne Coleman, which aims to improve access to regular eye care and management of vision needs for people living with dementia in residential aged care.

Dr Emily Rosenich – Disclosure of Apolipoprotein E (APOE) Genotypes to Cognitively Unimpaired Australian Adults At-risk of Dementia

This project aims to evaluate the pilot feasibility, acceptability and tolerability of a remotely-delivered, evidence-based, and culturally-appropriate method to remotely disclose apolipoprotein E (APOE) ɛ4 genotypes to cognitively unimpaired Australian adults at-risk of dementia. APOE ɛ4 carriage is the strongest genetic risk factor for the development of sporadic Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia, with APOE ɛ4 heterozygotes and homozygotes at 3 and 12 times greater risk of developing AD dementia over their lifetimes, respectively.

Clinical guidelines have historically discouraged APOE testing and disclosure. However, recent approvals of anti-amyloid therapies for the treatment of mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia due to AD in the US, Europe, Asia and now Australia, where APOE genotype predicts treatment efficacy and safety, are changing this. In Australia, APOE testing is now a prerequisite for determining eligibility for anti-amyloid treatment.

Previous US-based studies show that ɛ4 disclosure is feasible and well-tolerated, but approaches may be constrained by region-specific healthcare and insurance systems, norms and social stigmas. In addition, current approaches often use traditional, in-person genetic counselling methods, and have limited scalability. Digital technologies, such as videoconferencing, could be utilised to expand equity of access to evidence-based APOE education and disclosure in light of increasing demand for APOE testing. Consequently, the extent to which APOE disclosure protocols can be adapted and applied in other countries, such as Australia, needs to be examined.

This project will provide important foundational data to guide the development and implementation of APOE disclosure protocols in research and clinical settings in Australia, supporting clinical decision making and the successful delivery of anti-amyloid therapies.

Key publications (click the title to view)
Interest in apolipoprotein E (APOE) disclosure among at-risk, cognitively unimpaired, community-dwelling Australian adults