To support the specific needs of the AD-RIDDLE project partners, Alzheimer Europe has set up an International Advisory Board (IAB) in addition to the national Advisory Boards. The IAB brings together 12 members of the public from six European countries, including carers, individuals experiencing cognitive changes and people living with early-stage dementia, all with a strong interest in dementia prevention. Most members are also part of their respective national Advisory Boards, enabling them to bring valuable national perspectives to international discussions.
Members will meet regularly to provide reflections and recommendations on different aspects of the project, including the development and accessibility of the AD-RIDDLE Digital Engagement Portal. Their contributions will help ensure that the project reflects the perspectives, priorities and lived experiences of those most affected by dementia.
On Monday, 9 March and Tuesday, 17 March 2026, members of the IAB joined their first online meetings. The sessions were attended by AD-RIDDLE researchers and were facilitated by Ana Diaz (Public Involvement Lead, Alzheimer Europe), with support from Sarah Campill (Public Involvement Officer, Alzheimer Europe). Cindy Birck (Project Officer, Alzheimer Europe) was also present to introduce herself and her role in the project. The meetings began with an overview of the AD-RIDDLE project and recent updates, presented by Francesca Mangialasche from Karolinska Institutet, a senior clinician scientist with extensive expertise in dementia prevention and clinical ageing research.
This was followed by a round of introductions, giving members and partners the opportunity to get to know one another. The meetings concluded with a discussion on concerns and expectations related to withdrawal from participation and permissions for data use in research studies, including within AD-RIDDLE. Both groups raised key topics around data withdrawal that are relevant not only to this project but also to dementia research more broadly.
This project is supported by the Innovative Health Initiative Joint Undertaking (IHI JU) under grant agreement No. 101132933. The JU receives support from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme and COCIR, EFPIA, EuropaBio, MedTech Europe and Vaccines Europe, with Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, Combinostics OY., Cambridge Cognition Ltd., C2N Diagnostics LLC, and neotiv GmbH.
Funded by the European Union, the private members, UKRI, and the contributing partners of the IHI JU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the aforementioned parties. None of the aforementioned parties can be held responsible for them.
