Catch-up – Salon Debate – Biomedical vs Social Care Research

Should dementia research funding shift from biomedical science to social care? Join Dr Nancy Brown and Dr Soraya Meftah for a live debate on 22 Oct at 8pm and cast your vote.

Debate Motion:

This House would redirect funding from biomedical dementia research to social care research.

With funding limited and needs growing, should we continue to prioritise biomedical research aimed at treatment and cure — or is it time to shift the balance toward improving care and support for people living with dementia today?

Speaker For the Motion:

Dr Nancy Brown is a dementia care researcher at the University of Edinburgh with over 18 years’ experience in frontline support. Her work focuses on social care, community inclusion, and the use of ethnography to explore lived experience in advanced dementia.

Speaker Against the Motion:

Dr Soraya Meftah is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the UK Dementia Research Institute, University of Edinburgh. Her work focuses on understanding neurophysiological dysfunction in dementia using human and rodent models, combining electrophysiology and functional assays to explore synaptic changes in disease.

What to Expect

Join us for a live online debate where our speakers will present opposing views on the continued relevance of animal models in dementia research. The session will include:

• 10-minute opening statements from each speaker
• Moderated discussion
• Audience Q&A
• Live vote before and after the debate to see if opinions shift

Whether you’re firmly for, firmly against, or somewhere in between, come along and be part of the conversation.