Helen Macpherson

A good quality diet makes a vital contribution to healthy ageing and influences dementia risk factors such as heart health, obesity and type 2 diabetes. To provide clear guidelines around the optimal diet for protecting brain health, there is a need to better define which type of diet is most protective against developing dementia and which are the best ways to measure diet. This travel grant will be used to undertake a series of visits to key research groups in Europe to develop strong collaborations to better understand how diet influences dementia risk. This will be achieved by accessing European data and applying for international funding opportunities relevant to dementia prevention. 

An important goal of this this travel is to create opportunities to contribute Dr Macpherson’s expertise around diet to International dementia risk reduction and brain health guidelines. The research informed by these visits will provide a better understanding of the contribution that diet plays in reducing dementia risk. This will lead to the development of more effective interventions to reduce dementia risk and more precise public health messaging. 

Dr Helen Macpherson is a senior research fellow at the Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition (IPAN) at Deakin University. Dr Macpherson leads the Exercise and Nutrition for Cognitive and Mental Health group at IPAN.