Capacity building in dementia research: insights from the World Young Leaders in Dementia

Early-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries face systemic barriers to professional development and leadership growth. This article presents results from an initiative led by the World Young Leaders in Dementia (WYLD), including a leadership-focused session at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2024 and a global survey completed by 130 dementia researchers from 17 countries. The survey explored five capacity-building domains critical for leadership development. Over half of the survey respondents stated that scientific research in their country was not prioritized in public policy. Additionally, only 39% report holding full-time academic positions. The most cited challenges included lack of funding sources, training opportunities, and physical workspace. These findings highlight the urgent need to invest in research, training, and infrastructure to support future scientific leaders. As dementia incidence rises, prioritizing capacity building is essential to ensure global equity in research. HIGHLIGHTS: Early-career dementia researchers face major barriers, especially in LMICs. A networking session and a global survey explored capacity-building needs in dementia research. Key obstacles: lack of funding, training, workspace, and protected research time. Leadership development is a critical component of sustainable research capacity.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Alzheimer s & Dementia
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.70667
Primary Topic
Educational Leadership and Innovation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

Funders

Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Capacity building in dementia research: insights from the World Young Leaders in Dementia

Madeleine Bloomquist, Tharick Ali Pascoal, Marina Scop Medeiros, Cynthia Felix et al.
Alzheimer s & Dementia
Educational Leadership and Innovation
article

Capacity building in dementia research: insights from the World Young Leaders in Dementia

Madeleine Bloomquist, Tharick Ali Pascoal, Marina Scop Medeiros, Cynthia Felix, Ezequiel Surace, Ozama Ismail, Guilherme Povala, Eduardo Rigon Zimmer, Igor C. Fontana, Micaela A Hernández, Merci N Best, Kaitlin Seibert, Nicolás Corvalán, Carolina Soares, Claire E. Sexton, Suélyn Koerich, Pâmela C.L. Ferreira, Indira García‐Cordero, Emma Patrice Ruppert, Matheus Scarpatto Rodrigues, Arshia Khan, Lucía Crivelli, Diego Fernández Slezak, Greta Keller, Florentina Morello García, Bruna Bellaver, Cristiano Schaffer Aguzzoli, Ricardo Allegri, Micaela Arruabarrena, Lívia Amaral, Hannah Wilks, Kevin S. Chen, Andréia Silva da Rocha, Markley Silva Oliveira, Florence U. Johnson, Jorge J. Llibre‐Guerra, María Moreno, María Martín, Neha Dubey, Loana De Los Santos, María Florencia Clarens, Nahuel Magrath Guimet, Carolina Ardohain Cristalli
article en

Abstract

Early-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries face systemic barriers to professional development and leadership growth. This article presents results from an initiative led by the World Young Leaders in Dementia (WYLD), including a leadership-focused session at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference 2024 and a global survey completed by 130 dementia researchers from 17 countries. The survey explored five capacity-building domains critical for leadership development. Over half of the survey respondents stated that scientific research in their country was not prioritized in public policy. Additionally, only 39% report holding full-time academic positions. The most cited challenges included lack of funding sources, training opportunities, and physical workspace. These findings highlight the urgent need to invest in research, training, and infrastructure to support future scientific leaders. As dementia incidence rises, prioritizing capacity building is essential to ensure global equity in research. HIGHLIGHTS: Early-career dementia researchers face major barriers, especially in LMICs. A networking session and a global survey explored capacity-building needs in dementia research. Key obstacles: lack of funding, training, workspace, and protected research time. Leadership development is a critical component of sustainable research capacity.

Alzheimer s & DementiaVol. 21(12)
University of Calcutta (IN), Alzheimer's Association (US), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR), University of Pittsburgh (US), University of Toronto (CA), National University of Mar del Plata (AR), Washington University in St. Louis (US), Universidad de Buenos Aires (AR), University of Michigan (US), University of Chicago (US), University of San Andrés (AR), Instituto do Cérebro (BR), Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia (AR), Occupational Cancer Research Centre (CA), Michigan Medicine (US), University of Minnesota, Duluth (US), Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva (AR), Instituto de Neurología de Buenos Aires (AR), The University of Texas Health Science Center (US), Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (BR), McGill University (CA), Fundación Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (AR)
Alzheimer's Association
Openalex Percentile: Top 59%
Educational Leadership and Innovation
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.