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Advancing Global Collaboration in Dementia Research and Innovation at AAIC 2026
Globally, over 57 million people are currently living with dementia, and by 2050, that number is projected to triple, driven by our rapidly aging population. However, up to 45% of cases are preventable through modifiable risk factors. But to act on these modifiable risk factors, brain health support and education must be accessible to all— a message central to World Brain Day 2026 and that was echoed throughout the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2026.
CABHI, powered by Baycrest, joined partners from around the world at AAIC 2026 to strengthen collaboration across dementia prevention, detection, treatment, and care, advancing shared efforts to improve brain health outcomes for people everywhere. The conference provided a platform for thought leaders and sector experts to share the latest research breakthroughs in Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, exchange critical insights, and deepen international partnerships to improve the lives of older persons.
Key AAIC Takeaways:
Collaborating internationally is critical to scaling dementia prevention, detection, treatment, and care; no one organization, country, or city can take on this challenge alone.
Strengthening partnerships across research, care, policy, investment, and health systems is crucial to tackling rising dementia rates worldwide.
Closing the gap between brain health awareness and action, as explained in the new AgeTech Insights report, Unlocking Dementia Prevention: The Role of Technology in Supporting Brain Health, can empower everyone to reduce their dementia risk.
Ensuring accessible brain health—information, support, and care—is a necessity for equitable and widespread impact.
Strengthening Strategic Partnerships for System-Level Impact at AAIC
Throughout AAIC, CABHI participated in educational sessions and industry events (e.g., Building Bridges in Neurodegeneration and Brain Health: Quebec, Canada, UK and the CIHR—Institute of Aging’s networking reception), informative roundtables (e.g., Alzheimer’s Society Roundtable on dementia prevention), and strategic meetings designed to strengthen our global networks and spotlight innovation across the dementia care continuum.
The CIHR—Institute of Aging’s Canadian Pavilion, of which CABHI was a proud member, presented valuable opportunities to engage with fellow Canadian organizations advancing aging and brain health, including:
Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Centre StoP-Alzheimer
CIMA-Q: Consortium for the early identification of Alzheimer’s disease-Quebec (CIMA-Q)
Krembil Foundation
Toronto Dementia Research Alliance (TDRA)
Weston Family Foundation
Beyond the Canadian Pavilion, the conference offered a shared space to connect with international leaders working in dementia research, care, innovation, and policy. Over the multi-day event, we met with organizations that share our commitment to advancing dementia prevention, detection, treatment, and care, and explored opportunities to strengthen our collaboration for amplified impact. Among the international organizations we met with were:
AARP
UK Dementia Research Institute Division Lead
UK Dementia Research Institute
Alzheimer's Society Canada
National Institute on Aging
Dementia UK
Alzheimer's Disease International
King's College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience
National Innovation Centre Ageing + the Voice
These critical connections helped lay the groundwork and build upon existing relationships with key players in the aging and brain health sector globally, which is increasingly important as populations age and dementia rates continue to rise. No single organization, city, or country can meet this challenge alone; advancing research and innovation in dementia prevention, detection, treatment, and care will rely on strong international partnerships that encourage shared learning, align efforts, and bring accessible solutions to the people who need them most.
Cultivating Connections and Convening International Experts at the Global Dementia Innovation Mixer
The Global Dementia Innovation Mixer, co-hosted by Alzheimer’s Society UK, was an anchor for us at AAIC 2026, welcoming over 150 leaders across research, care, innovation, policy, investment, and health systems for an evening of connection and collaboration.
We’re proud of our growing partnership with CABHI, an organization whose values and ambition closely align with our own. Together, we’re demonstrating how global collaboration can drive meaningful innovation in dementia. From working together at AAIC in 2025 on the Global Dementia Research and Innovation Showcase, to co-hosting this year’s Global Dementia Innovation Mixer around AAIC in London, these in-person opportunities have been hugely beneficial in bringing together innovators, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and investors across the world to share ideas, build connections and showcase innovations that are transforming lives.
Natasha (Tash) Howard-Murray, Innovation Programme Manager
Innovation team (Research and Influencing) at Alzheimer’s Society UK
The event also marked the launch of CABHI's newest AgeTech Insights report, Unlocking Dementia Prevention: The Role of Technology in Supporting Brain Health, developed in partnership with Alzheimer's Society UK. Drawing on responses from more than 2,000 older persons across Canada and the UK, the report explores knowledge, perceptions, and behaviours related to dementia prevention. Together, these findings point to a clear need to close the gap between awareness and action by supporting innovations that build confidence and encourage sustained engagement in brain-healthy behaviours, directly reflecting World Brain Day’s 2026 theme, “Brain Health: Access for All.”
Through the Global Dementia Innovation Mixer and our broader AAIC activities, CABHI helped convene a global community committed to improving quality of life for people impacted by dementia. As World Brain Day and our newest AgeTech Insights report remind us, advancing brain health requires more than awareness. It requires access, action, and collaboration to ensure aging and brain health innovations reach the people who need them most.