At Brain Health Scotland our mission is to inspire and empower you to protect your brain health and reduce your risk of diseases that lead to dementia.
We work with all ages, across the whole of Scotland, to provide all you need to protect your brain and to join the effort to understand more about this amazing part of who you are.
YOUR BRAIN IS WHO YOU ARE. IT IS YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS AND MEMORIES.
IT IS CURIOUS AND CREATIVE, AND IT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED.
About Brain Health
LIFESTYLE HAS
A PROFOUND IMPACT ON
BRAIN HEALTH.
If we eat, exercise and sleep well we can help keep our brains healthy and fuelled with oxygen and nutrients. No matter our age, we need to stimulate our brains by being with people and learning new skills. And it is crucial we manage stress to stay as calm as possible at home and work.
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We now understand a great deal more about what impacts our brain health than we did even ten years ago. For example, it is widely known that the diseases that lead to dementia start in midlife.
The onset of these diseases is driven by many factors, some of which we cannot change, such as our family history and genetics, but many of which we can,
such as our lifestyle.
Be active
Take regular exercise that
gets your heart pumping
Avoid harmful substances
Don’t smoke and don’t drink alcohol to excess
Eat healthy
Eat a balanced, mediterranean-style diet
Get creative
Learn new skills
throughout life
Stay social
Enjoy time with
other people
Keep rested
Manage stress, look after mental health and get plenty of sleep
What we do
DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ALZHEIMER SCOTLAND,
AND FUNDED BY THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT, BRAIN HEALTH SCOTLAND
PROVIDES:
• Expert advice about brain health research, policy and healthcare
• Promotion of positive brain health in collaboration with Public Health Scotland
and other partners
• Support to ensure health professionals can provide personalised prevention plans
• Opportunities to join brain health clinics
and research programmes across Scotland
Brain Health Scotland has been established with the singular objective of reducing the incidence of dementia over the next 10 years.
We achieve our success by establishing long-standing partnerships with organisations that share our vision
of a future free from the fear of brain disease.
We promote brain health through two key programmes:
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Brain Health Engagement:
We promote awareness of the principles of brain health across all walks of life. We work with partners in education, nutrition and fitness, as well as employers and sports associations to promote positive brain health.
Our programmes include educational outreach from primary school years onwards, health promotion campaigns and management of known risk factors.
We place specific emphasis on equity of access, addressing the needs of people living
in more challenging socioeconomic circumstances.
Brain Health Services:
We are developing Scotland’s first brain health clinics, at which patients will access the information and interventions they need to protect their brain.
We also provide opportunities to join research programmes, so everyone can join the effort to better
understand brain health and disease.
Through all our activities, we expect that in future fewer people will develop Alzheimer’s disease in Scotland, but for those who do, we will work to ensure they access the best assessments,
treatments and care anywhere in the world.
Brain Health Scotland has been commissioned to produce national policy documents that will include the first Brain Health Strategy for Scotland as well as a Scottish Brain Health and Dementia Research Strategy.
What you can do
THERE ARE
MANY WAYS
YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
WITH BRAIN HEALTH SCOTLAND.
1. Join research
Taking part in brain health research is for everyone and is one of the greatest ways to impact future success: Join Dementia Research
2. Learn about brain health
We run a free online learning course all about Understanding Brain Health. Search ‘Brain Health’ on Future Learn
3. Partner with us
We are keen to work with partners from all walks
of life. We would love to hear from you if you
are keen embed brain health in your work,
school or community.
4. Work with us
Register interest and sign up for alerts so we can let you know when we are looking for skills.
5. Data
All Brain Health Scotland data is held on the principle of open access, if you would like to know
more please contact us
DIRECTOR
Prof Craig Ritchie
Chair of Psychiatry of Ageing,
University of Edinburgh
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Henry Simmons
Chief Executive of Alzheimer Scotland
EXECUTIVE LEAD
Anna Borthwick
PROJECT & COMMUNICATION LEAD
Neil Fullerton
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RESEARCH OFFICER
Jenny Waymont
Who we are
OUR RESEARCHERS
SDRC Executive
We work with experts from the Scottish Dementia Research Consortium and the Scottish Dementia Informatics Partnership to ensure we remain at the cutting edge of global advances to understand and protect brain health.
Get in touch
To learn more about brain health,
or any of the Brain Health Scotland programmes, please get in touch at
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