On 28 October 2026, a symposium sponsored by Lilly took place during the 36th Alzheimer Europe Conference in Dublin. Entitled “The story isn’t written yet – From Biomarkers to Lived Experience: Acting Earlier in Alzheimer’s Disease”, the session explored the importance of timely diagnosis and its implications for people living with Alzheimer’s disease.
Moderated by Angela Bradshaw, Deputy Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe, the symposium brought together scientific evidence, survey findings and personal experience to examine the opportunities and challenges associated with earlier diagnosis. First, Emily Scheitlin (Associate Director for Neuroscience Market Research at Eli Lilly & Co.) presented findings from a survey exploring attitudes towards Alzheimer’s diagnosis. The results highlighted strong public interest in earlier testing, with nearly four in five respondents believing that testing should take place at the first signs of cognitive changes, or even before.
A subsequent discussion featured Helen Rochford-Brennan, former Chair of the European Working Group of People with Dementia, and Pablo Martinez-Lage, Scientific Director of CITA Alzheimer, who explored the lived experience of diagnosis alongside advances in diagnostic approaches, including blood-based biomarkers. The speakers also discussed barriers to timely diagnosis, including fragmented care pathways, limited awareness and uneven diagnostic capacity across Europe. Angela emphasised Alzheimer Europe’s position that timely and accurate diagnosis should be accompanied by access to information, appropriate care and support, regardless of where people live or their financial circumstances.
The symposium concluded with “TODAY – A Reverse Story for Alzheimer’s”, a live performance tracing a person’s experience of Alzheimer’s disease backwards, highlighting how earlier diagnosis and support can create opportunities for people to make informed decisions about their future.
