Protecting minds
Prevention. Early detection. Breakthrough treatments.
Together, we can rewrite the future of dementia.
One in two of us will be affected by dementia
Today, more than 54 million people worldwide live with dementia - a figure expected to rise to more than 152 million by 2050, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). At the University of Exeter, our research shows that up to 40% of cases could be prevented or delayed through a better understanding of brain health, lifestyle and risk factors.
Dementia doesn't just affect memory. It can alter identity, relationships and connection in deeply personal ways – which is why early detection is so important. Thousands of research participants are helping us understand how dementia develops and, crucially, how it might be slowed or even stopped.
With your support, we can accelerate early detection, make prevention measurable, and bring breakthrough treatments closer to the people who need them most. Together, we can rewrite the future of dementia.
"Because we know things can be getting better and better over the years, it does give me a bit of hope."
Marilyn
A research programme that spans the whole pathway
Exeter’s dementia research connects prevention, early detection, treatment and care into one coordinated approach.
At the centre of this work is PROTECT (Platform for Research Online to Investigate Genetics and Cognition in Ageing) – a large-scale online study tracking brain health over time.
Participants contribute securely from home through digital testing, health questionnaires and at-home DNA sampling – creating one of the richest brain ageing datasets in the world.
50,000+ participants worldwide
2.5 million cognitive assessments
15,000+ DNA samples
Breakthrough research
Progress rarely comes from single discoveries. It advances through thousands of careful steps – analysing data, refining tools, running trials and asking better questions each year.
Philanthropic support helps to:
- Sustain long-term studies like PROTECT
- Fund early-stage, high-risk trials
- Scale promising detection technologies
- Support PhD researchers building future expertise
Without sustained support, momentum slows. With it, breakthroughs accelerate.
.png)
Choose how you’d like to support
Support with a regular gift
From £5 per month, you can help sustain the research that makes prevention possible.
Regular giving supports large-scale studies, remote trials and the researchers driving discovery forward.
.jpg)
Legacy gifts sustain the long-term studies and early detection research future generations will depend on.
Leadership-level support (from £84 per month) enables researchers to act decisively at critical moments.
Join the PROTECT study to take part from home and help us understand how brain health changes over time.