Collaborative minds
Bringing together researchers and people affected by dementia to support more inclusive and collaborative biomedical research.
There is increasing recognition that people living with dementia and care partners can contribute to research in meaningful ways beyond serving as study participants, including shaping research questions, processes and knowledge mobilization. While the nature of biomedical research makes collaboration with people with lived experience less common, there are opportunities to cultivate more collaborative approaches in the field.
In June 2025, the Alzheimer Society of BC and Yukon, in partnership with the Health Design Lab at Emily Carr University, the University of Victoria and an advisory committee of researchers and people affected by dementia, brought together biomedical dementia researchers across B.C. and people with lived experience to discuss inclusive research practices.
Together, participants shared their perspective, identified challenges and explored practical strategies to strengthen collaboration in biomedical dementia research. The insights shared during these sessions, along with a comprehensive literature review, helped inform the development of two guides to support inclusive engagement across the research lifecycle.
This guide is intended for anyone working in biomedical dementia research – researchers, trainees, project managers and those involved in designing or developing research projects – who wish to enhance their research by embedding dementia-inclusive strategies into their practice.
This guide is for people living with dementia and care partners who are curious about contributing to biomedical research beyond being a study participant. It explores how you can take on a collaborative role in research by sharing your expertise as someone lived experience to help shape research projects.
