Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder affecting 26 million people worldwide with no truly effective treatment. In 2016 we published a study showing that a subclass of drugs called the fenamates can reverse inflammation and memory deficits in animal models of AD, suggesting that fenamates could possibly be repurposed to treat AD. Following publication of this paper, several major news stories were released heralding the results. The accuracy of these stories varied with some good coverage and some that failed to represent the results of the research, leading to phone calls and emails to us directly from people caring for loved ones that live with this horrendous disease and asking for direct access to a drug they thought could be a cure. At Glasgow Skeptics, I’ll give a first-hand account of my research in the field of dementia, the study that led to this media storm, and introduce Have You Heard?, an award-winning project aimed at clearing the haze that can surround science in the media.

• To find out more, visit https://haveyouhearduk.com/

About the speaker
Dr Michael Daniels is a Postdoctoral Fellow working in the UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Edinburgh. Their research focuses on the immune cells of the brain, microglia, and how their activity may confer resilience or susceptibility to neurodegenerative disease. Outside of the lab they love to communicate science in any way they can.

• You can find him on Twitter at @mike_jd_daniels

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Drop-in event. No ticket required, just show up!

• Doors at 7.15, kickoff at 7.30

This is event is free to attend, although we will be asking for donations at the end of the talk. Participants are under no obligation whatsoever to donate, however please rest assured that the money we collect doesn’t end up in anyone’s pocket – it is used to fund our overhead costs, and travel/accommodation for our speakers who come from further afield.

Accessibility: As per the policy of the Admiral Bar, access to the venue “can only be provided to patrons who are sufficiently mobile and capable of independently evacuating premises, or with the minimum of assistance”. Unfortunately, this leaves the basement inaccessible to most wheelchair users.