EquaDem - ESRC Equalities in Dementia Network Plus
The first national network dedicated to finding solutions to inequalities in dementia diagnosis and care.
One million people are living with dementia in the UK, with numbers continuing to increase. People living with dementia and their unpaid carers often face many inequalities in accessing care and obtaining an assessment and diagnosis.
The EquaDem Network Plus aims to develop solutions to barriers in dementia diagnosis and care and impact clinical and social care practice. By closely working together with people living with dementia and unpaid carers, as well as care professionals and Third Sector organisations, the Network will create a Community of Research and Practice to find solutions to inequalities, linked to knowledge mobilisation internships and pilot projects. Their solutions include delivering key policy and practice guidance, alongside submitting evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Dementia. This will be part of a wider strategy to communicate research findings to a range of audiences and policy makers who will focus on implementing their recommendations.
Working in partnership
Comprising seven universities, two national dementia charities, health and social care professionals and lived experts (carers, person living with dementia), and the University College London-based NIHR-funded ‘Dementia Researcher’ as core team members, the EquaDem Network Plus will host networking, capacity-building, and pilot-project activities over the next five years.
Internships
- EquaDem Research Internships 2026, closing date for application is Thursday 15 January
- Equadem Project Funding 2026, closing date for applications is Thursday 15 January.
Our network
- University of Liverpool
- Newcastle University
- University of Manchester
- King's College London
- Bournemouth University
- University of Nottingham
- Lewy Body Society
- Dementia UK
- Mersey Care
- Me2U
- NIHR Dementia Researcher
- Social Care Institute for Excellence.
Our network members
| Professor Mark Gabbay | Senior Research Associate and NIHR ARC Dementia Research Fellow, University of Liverpool |
| Dr Marie Poole | Senior Research Associate and NIHR ARC Dementia Research Fellow, Newcastle University |
| Professor Catherine Robinson | Professor of Social Care Research / Director Social Care and Society Academic, University of Manchester |
| Dr Catherine Talbot | Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Bournemouth University |
| Deborah Rozansky | Director of Policy, Research and Information, SCIE – Social Care Institute for Excellence |
| Jaqui Cannon | Chief Executive, The Lewy Body Society |
| Dr Madeleine Walpert | Research Fellow, Dementia UK |
| Rosie Whittington | Founder, Me2U Centre, Liverpool |
| Adam Smith | Programme Director – Dementia Researcher, University College London |
| Dr Kritika Samsi | Senior Research Fellow, Kings College London |
| Hilary Tetlow | Liverpool Service User Reference Forum (SURF) group lead and NIHR ARC NWC Public advisor |
| Dr Paul Clarkson | Senior Lecturer in Social Care, University of Manchester |
| Dr Kerry Hanna | School of Health Sciences, University of Liverpool |
| Dr Aravind Komuravelli | Psychiatrist, Merseycare |
| Professor Martin Orrell | Director - Institute of Mental Health, University of Nottingham |
