StepUp for Dementia Research is a research participation and engagement service, a “one-stop shop” that connects individuals – both with and without dementia – with researchers conducting studies into dementia prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and cure. We make it easier for the brightest minds in research to connect with people willing to donate their time.
StepUp for Dementia Research is the first systematic and inclusive service in Australia designed for the public to express their interest in participating in research and for researchers to connect with those interested in dementia research. For researchers, recruiting participants for dementia-related studies is costly and time consuming. Delays in finding the right people can result in studies taking longer to deliver, often requiring funding extensions. Insufficient study samples limit the effectiveness and scope of research – the difficulty researchers face when it comes to recruiting participants directly impacts their capacity for robust analysis and the generalisation of findings.
StepUp for Dementia Research is led by Professor Yun-Hee Jeon who developed the service in partnership with international and local collaborators. Professor Jeon is the Susan and Isaac Wakil Professor of Healthy Ageing at the University of Sydney. She is recognised as a leader in research to person-centred care, reablement, measuring quality, and outcome measures in dementia and aged care workforce leadership. Her research outputs, and clinical leadership development have been used to inform policy development as well as practice improvement in aged and dementia care. She is committed to advancing participatory science through consumer and community involvement in research and citizen science.
The StepUp for Dementia Research logo was designed by branding agency BrandMatters, in consultation with the StepUp for Dementia Research team and members of the Public Involvement Panel. It represents a sun whose rays form the shape of the Australian continent. At the centre of the logo is the research participant, and the rays (which also evoke ripples in water) are the other StepUp for Dementia Research stakeholders: researchers, health and care professionals, carers, loved ones and the general public.
The ripples evoke the knock-on effect of stepping up to participate in research: the value provided for other people and generations to come.
