Catchup – Salon Debate – Funding Dementia: Prevent or Treat?

Should prevention get more funding than cure in dementia research? Join Dr Sarah Page and Luis Tojo for a live debate on 5 Nov at 12pm and cast your vote.

Debate Motion:

This House believes that prevention should receive more research funding than cure in dementia.

Prevention strategies, from lifestyle interventions to early detection, are increasingly recognised as being important in dementia policy. But should they take precedence over efforts to develop treatments or find a cure? This debate will explore whether shifting funding towards prevention is a smart investment or a risky diversion of resources.

Speaker For the Motion:

Sarah Page is Programme Lead for Occupational Therapy at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her work centres on dementia, later-life wellbeing, and person‑centred occupational approaches, especially exploring how everyday environments and routines support quality of life as dementia progresses.

Speaker Against the Motion:

Luis Tojo is Senior Commercial Manager at UCLPartners, specialising in health innovation and strategic partnerships. He works to accelerate translation of research into practice by brokering collaborations, supporting commercialisation, and helping navigate innovation pathways between NHS, academia, and industry.

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

This is your chance to explore how research priorities are set, and whether funding dementia prevention over cure is a step forward or a step too far.