My LISS-DTP post-doctoral fellowship focuses on advancing our understanding of dementia risk factors through a mixed methods approach that considers the influence of diverse social contexts. By addressing how risk and protective factors operate in and are modified by social determinants, my work focuses on how we can translate dementia prevention research into actionable and equitable public health policies.
Central to this fellowship is the synthesis of high-quality evidence to develop comprehensive policy recommendations tailored for public health practitioners and research commissioners. This work seeks to bridge the gap between research and practice, ensuring that policies are not only effective but also inclusive and responsive to the needs of different populations.
Another component of this project is a co-produced survey assessing the readiness of memory services to adapt to major policy and scientific advancements. These include shifts toward greater diagnostic specificity enabled by blood-based biomarkers and the growing governmental emphasis on prevention. I will contribute to the analysis of this survey, examining how social and geographical factors influence system readiness, to provide critical insights into the systemic challenges and opportunities associated with implementing new diagnostic and preventative approaches.
This fellowship involves collaborating closely with the NIHR Dementia and Neurodegeneration Policy Research Unit at Queen Mary University of London (DeNPRU-QM) to ensure that my work aligns with current policy priorities. Further, I have planned research visits to the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York and identified training courses to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and refine my approach to integrating social policy perspectives into dementia prevention strategies.
Through this fellowship, I aim to produce impactful research that not only advances the scientific understanding of dementia risk but also contributes to the development of practical, equitable, and evidence-based public health policies.
Research Area: RA1: Global Health Innovation
Publications:
Demnitz-King, H*., Requier, F*., Whitfield, T., Schlosser, M., Gonneaud, J., Ware,C., … and Marchant, NL., for The Medit-Ageing Research Group. (2023). Effects of meditation training and non-native language training on cognition in older-adults: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial. JAMA Network Open.
Demnitz-King, H.*, Saba, L*., Lau, Y., Munns, L., … and Marchant, N.L. (2023). Association between anxiety symptoms and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers in cognitively healthy adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
Demnitz-King, H., Gonneaud, J., Klimecki, O., Chocat, A., Collette, F., … & Marchant, N. L. (2022). The Association between Self-reflection with Cognition and Brain Health in Cognitively Unimpaired Older Adults. Neurology.
Whitfield, T*., Demnitz-King, H*., Schlosser, M., Barnhofer, T., Frison E., Coll-Padros, N., … & Marchant, N. L. (2022). Effects of a mindfulness-based versus a health self-management intervention on objective cognitive performance in older-adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD): A secondary analysis of the SCD-Well randomized controlled trial. Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy.
Demnitz-King, H., Göehre, I., & Marchant, N. L. (2021). The neuroanatomical correlates of repetitive negative thinking: A systematic review. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
Schlosser, M., Demnitz-King, H., Whitfield, T., Wirth, M., & Marchant, N. L. (2020). Repetitive Negative Thinking is associated with Subjective Cognitive Decline in older adults: a cross-sectional study. BMC Psychiatry.
Social Media Links:
Bluesky: @hdemnitzking.bsky.social (https://bsky.app/profile/hdemnitzking.bsky.social)
X: @hdemnitzking (https://x.com/hdemnitzking)
Google scholar link to all publications: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=m3T1i5YAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
DeNPRU-QM website: https://denpru-qmul.nihr.ac.uk