27 August 2004

Only European grant for Alzheimer's to Dundee

Professor Alan Newell at the University of Dundee has just had news this week that he is the only person outside North America to receive a grant from the American Alzheimer's Association to investigate technologies to improve Alzheimer's sufferers' care.

Alan, who is an expert on applying computer technology to assist elderly and disabled people and who has been awarded an MBE for his work in this area will be investigating how digital TV can be used to remind people with Alzheimer’s to do tasks that they may forget such as taking their medicine.

"People with Alzheimer's can suffer short term memory loss" says Alan. "I want to see if it's possible to replace adverts or interrupt recorded programmes to give people reminders."

The grants were awarded to researchers to investigate how everyday electronic devices such as televisions, computers and telephones can be used to meet the day-to-day needs of people with Alzheimer's disease and those who care for them. Professor Newell’s grant is for £114,737.

The grants were awarded through The Everyday Technologies for Alzheimer Care (ETAC) consortium founded by the Alzheimer’s Association and Intel Corporation in 2003. Grants were also given to researchers at the University of Toronto, a Rehabilitation Centre in Boston, and the University of Rochester.

Contact Professor Alan Newell on 01382 344144

By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk