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Transcript

Relay Podcast - Health Policy PIA · Dementia Researcher Vodcast

• 0:00
  (upbeat music)
• 0:02
  - [Voice Over] Hello, and welcome to season seven
• 0:04
  of the Dementia Researcher "ISTAART Relay Podcast."
• 0:08
  In this series,
• 0:09
  members of the ISTAART professional interest areas
• 0:12
  interview each other about their PIAs
• 0:15
  and the hot topics in their fields.
• 0:18
  Each guest then becomes the next episode's host,
• 0:21
  passing the conversation
• 0:22
  along from one researcher to the next.
• 0:25
  We're releasing one episode a day in the run
• 0:28
  up to the Alzheimer's Association International Conference
• 0:31
  this year in London and online,
• 0:34
  showcasing the work of the ISTAART PIAs.
• 0:37
  Thank you for listening.
• 0:39
  (upbeat music)
• 0:45
  - Hello, everyone, and thank you for joining us.
• 0:48
  My name is Vanessa Young
• 0:50
  and I am a postdoc at the Glenn Biggs Institute
• 0:53
  at the University of Texas
• 0:54
  at San Antonio Health Science Centre
• 0:57
  in San Antonio, Texas, USA.
• 1:00
  I am also the communications chair
• 1:03
  of the Technology and Dementia PIA.
• 1:06
  Today, I'm delighted to be talking
• 1:08
  with Lillian Morgado from the health policy PIA.
• 1:12
  Hi, Lillian. Welcome.
• 1:14
  Can I start by asking you to introduce yourself?
• 1:17
  - Sure. I'm Lillian Morgado.
• 1:20
  I'm a research coordinator at Georgia State University
• 1:24
  in Atlanta, Georgia, USA,
• 1:27
  and I am the communications chair on the health policy PIA.
• 1:32
  - Very nice meeting you, Lillian.
• 1:36
  And I think this is the beauty of being part of the PIA,
• 1:41
  since this is the first time that I'm meeting you
• 1:43
  and so it's nice
• 1:45
  to actually meet people from all over the places.
• 1:49
  So before we actually start talking
• 1:53
  about your work within the PIA,
• 1:57
  can you talk to us about your own research?
• 1:59
  So what do you do?
• 2:01
  - Sure, so I'm a research coordinator,
• 2:03
  which means I kind of get my hands in everything.
• 2:05
  I'm very fortunate that I work
• 2:07
  under a primary investigator, or PI,
• 2:11
  who allows me to be pretty involved with paper writing
• 2:14
  and idea generation of that sort of stuff.
• 2:18
  So what we do mostly in our lab
• 2:20
  is we do qualitative research.
• 2:22
  That includes things like interviews with people
• 2:26
  and then qualitatively coding that.
• 2:28
  We've also done some work on legal epidemiology,
• 2:32
  and the subjects we look at
• 2:34
  are mostly having to do with things like ageing,
• 2:37
  bioethics, and sort of the intersection of that
• 2:41
  with dementia and the best practises to move forward
• 2:45
  and make sure that science works for people
• 2:47
  the way that scientists want it to.
• 2:51
  - So can you tell me more
• 2:52
  about that qualitative aspect of research?
• 2:56
  So I work more with the quantitative aspect.
• 3:01
  I did very little with the qualitative component,
• 3:04
  and it's very fascinating.
• 3:06
  I know there is some coding that you need to do.
• 3:09
  Can you tell us more
• 3:10
  or how you are able to embed
• 3:12
  that qualitative aspect within the dementia research?
• 3:16
  - Sure.
• 3:17
  So a lot of it has to do with sort of guiding questions
• 3:22
  and providing a basis
• 3:24
  that we're looking for for the quantitative research.
• 3:28
  So we are getting the qualitative data to make sure
• 3:32
  that when we put all the money in
• 3:33
  to do large quantitative projects,
• 3:36
  then we are asking the right questions
• 3:38
  in the right directions with the right tools.
• 3:39
  One of the things we like to do is interviews
• 3:43
  where we are interviewing groups of people.
• 3:46
  These can be stakeholders,
• 3:48
  like researchers or people who are participating
• 3:52
  in venture research.
• 3:54
  I recently had a paper that is just about to be published
• 3:58
  where I was interviewing lawyers and caregivers
• 4:02
  to people with dementia
• 4:04
  on their experiences with the legal system
• 4:07
  and people living with dementia.
• 4:09
  So you take these questions
• 4:11
  and you take the answers that people give to you
• 4:15
  and you try to look through them for common themes,
• 4:18
  and from that you're able to figure out
• 4:20
  sort of the overarching discussion
• 4:23
  and what is coming out
• 4:25
  in a way that you can't
• 4:26
  and with a richness that you can't always find
• 4:29
  with quantitative data.
• 4:31
  So it's really rewarding when you're able to find an answer
• 4:35
  to a question you were asking
• 4:37
  or an answer to a question
• 4:38
  you didn't even know you needed to be asking.
• 4:42
  - Absolutely.
• 4:43
  I think that is very fascinating
• 4:45
  and it really speaks on that ability
• 4:48
  to then really tailor
• 4:50
  the future research on that co-design.
• 4:53
  You're really working with the people for the people
• 4:57
  and not just with what we have in mind,
• 4:59
  so that we can better help the community that we serve.
• 5:04
  In during these qualitative designs,
• 5:07
  studies that you had,
• 5:09
  has been any specific themes
• 5:12
  that you would like to share with us
• 5:14
  that maybe come out a little bit more,
• 5:17
  for example, here in South Texas
• 5:21
  we have been focusing a little bit in the past years
• 5:25
  on that socioeconomic status that might be related
• 5:30
  to also increase health disease burden
• 5:34
  is something that you have noticed
• 5:37
  in your community, for example.
• 5:40
  - So we're not focused
• 5:41
  as much on the local community in our research.
• 5:44
  Depending on our project, sometimes it's national scale,
• 5:47
  and we've actually got an international project
• 5:49
  going on right now where we're speaking
• 5:53
  with international communities,
• 5:57
  and one of the things
• 6:00
  that was really interesting to me in my research
• 6:03
  with the attorneys and the caregivers
• 6:05
  was seeing just exactly how important
• 6:09
  of a role caregivers played
• 6:12
  when a person with dementia
• 6:14
  is in a position where they might be arrested
• 6:17
  or could have to interact with the justice system
• 6:20
  and how important that caregiver is
• 6:22
  to making sure that there is an okay outcome,
• 6:25
  and even just making sure
• 6:27
  that people are aware this person has dementia.
• 6:30
  So that's led me to a new line of research
• 6:32
  where I'm thinking about,
• 6:34
  what do we do if someone doesn't have that caregiver?
• 6:37
  How do we make sure
• 6:38
  that they don't get caught up in the justice system?
• 6:41
  That sort of thing.
• 6:43
  - Absolutely.
• 6:44
  And that is indeed an important work
• 6:47
  because not everybody has a caregiver
• 6:51
  who is available or can be available 24 hours 7.
• 6:55
  Thinking more broadly
• 6:59
  of your research within your sphere,
• 7:02
  what are the really hot topics
• 7:03
  or exciting area in your field at the moment?
• 7:07
  - I would say the two biggest ones we're looking at
• 7:10
  are probably gonna be AI or artificial intelligence.
• 7:14
  So everybody wants to talk all about that.
• 7:16
  And then also blood-based biomarkers
• 7:19
  are a really exciting topic because while the science,
• 7:23
  the bench science is really cool on that side,
• 7:27
  but then you have to talk about,
• 7:29
  how do we get this information to people?
• 7:31
  What tests are used for what?
• 7:33
  How do we communicate what these mean to patients
• 7:36
  and research participants in ways that make sure
• 7:40
  that it's given to them in the most useful way possible?
• 7:43
  That sort of stuff.
• 7:43
  I think AI and the blood-based biomarkers
• 7:48
  are probably the two hottest things
• 7:50
  that I'm aware of right now.
• 7:51
  (mellow music)
• 7:57
  - That sounds great, Lillian,
• 7:59
  and it really relates to me, speaks to me
• 8:02
  because within my half-first here,
• 8:05
  I work within the sphere of sleep and wearable,
• 8:09
  and I want to really concentrate
• 8:12
  on improving diagnostic tools, including AI.
• 8:16
  And for my dissertation,
• 8:18
  my effort was more within fluid biomarker,
• 8:21
  blood-based biomarkers.
• 8:23
  But I really hear your voice
• 8:27
  and I generally wanted to ask you from your expertise,
• 8:31
  what can we do to get better at speaking
• 8:35
  that health policy language?
• 8:39
  - I think in some ways it is not necessarily
• 8:43
  scientists' job to be able to communicate that directly,
• 8:47
  but I do think it's important
• 8:49
  to be aware of the potential benefits and misuses,
• 8:54
  as well as a little bit or have a friend
• 8:58
  who knows what the legal landscape is
• 9:00
  for what you are trying to do.
• 9:02
  So if you are trying to implement something,
• 9:05
  what legal protections are there in place if it goes wrong?
• 9:08
  How could bad actors use it?
• 9:11
  And also what is the emerging legislation
• 9:15
  or things that policymakers are looking at doing
• 9:18
  to put these things into place?
• 9:21
  These are all things that are good
• 9:23
  to either keep in the back of your mind
• 9:25
  or have someone on hand who has a good sense
• 9:29
  of those things,
• 9:30
  and knowing those things on the front end
• 9:32
  can help you design better trials
• 9:36
  and studies to help more people more effectively.
• 9:42
  - Absolutely, and I agree.
• 9:45
  I think probably one of the aspect
• 9:50
  that I've seen through my past year
• 9:53
  and our institution is that involvement
• 9:55
  with some of the members of the community,
• 9:59
  there are stakeholders,
• 10:01
  in improving what they really need
• 10:03
  that that can be better translated in that health policy
• 10:08
  in a more linear fashion
• 10:11
  because there is a direct need,
• 10:14
  although it doesn't necessarily mean
• 10:16
  that it's always faster.
• 10:19
  Have you had,
• 10:21
  I know you mentioned how you work
• 10:22
  more with international groups at the moment,
• 10:28
  and since this is an international platform,
• 10:31
  I do wonder how that can be different.
• 10:36
  There are different needs,
• 10:37
  like in the U.S., even for what is covered,
• 10:40
  we are talking about blood-based biomarkers, for example.
• 10:43
  Here we need to go through insurance process.
• 10:46
  When you go an international level,
• 10:48
  there might be other aspects.
• 10:51
  For example, I'm originally from Italy.
• 10:53
  I know that the healthcare system there works differently.
• 10:58
  Is there something that you would like to add
• 11:00
  for that aspect
• 11:02
  since you had that international experience right now?
• 11:07
  - Sure, so just to be 100% clear,
• 11:10
  I didn't speak a little bit at first.
• 11:12
  When I'm saying international communities, we have a project
• 11:15
  that involves us speaking to international researchers.
• 11:20
  But as far as the international component,
• 11:23
  that really is another important thing
• 11:26
  to keep in mind about policy,
• 11:27
  particularly with things like blood-based biomarkers and AI.
• 11:31
  So with AI of course you have different regulations
• 11:35
  for what data can be collected
• 11:36
  and how it can be used generally,
• 11:38
  in the United States versus Europe,
• 11:40
  which is covered by the GDPR,
• 11:44
  which I can't remember what that stands for at this moment.
• 11:46
  Apologies.
• 11:47
  - It's okay.
• 11:48
  - The other thing to keep in mind
• 11:50
  with blood-based biomarkers
• 11:51
  and frankly any intervention for Alzheimer's disease
• 11:55
  is that the policy component is vital to make sure
• 12:00
  that those improvements reach the people they need.
• 12:03
  If we create a pill today that cures Alzheimer's disease
• 12:07
  and don't do any researcher work
• 12:09
  on how much it's going to cost,
• 12:12
  how it gets distributed, how it gets shipped,
• 12:14
  all we have done is we have cured Alzheimer's disease
• 12:17
  for the richest people in the world and no one else.
• 12:20
  So I think it's really important to remember
• 12:23
  that policy is really the bridge to making sure
• 12:26
  that the science achieves its grander goal
• 12:29
  beyond that thing you were funded for, for your grant,
• 12:33
  beyond what you just need to publish your paper.
• 12:37
  Policy is what makes it happen.
• 12:39
  - Absolutely. I agree, and thank you so much.
• 12:42
  That is a very difficult question.
• 12:43
  I think you did a fantastic job answering.
• 12:46
  (mellow music)
• 12:53
  With respect to all the wonderful job
• 12:56
  that you are doing,
• 12:59
  how does the work of your PIA
• 13:02
  is able to support your field of research?
• 13:07
  - I would say our PIA is a really great opportunity
• 13:10
  to talk to people internationally.
• 13:12
  We've got some folks who've worked in Asia,
• 13:17
  in Australia, in Europe,
• 13:20
  all who are involved in the PIA.
• 13:23
  And as you can imagine, those policy landscapes
• 13:26
  and the history and the risk profiles
• 13:29
  of everyone in all those regions is wildly different.
• 13:33
  So knowing those other perspectives
• 13:35
  and being able to communicate with people
• 13:38
  is a really cool opportunity to be able
• 13:41
  to learn without having to do things yourself.
• 13:47
  The other really great thing I love about the PIA
• 13:49
  is it does offer
• 13:50
  some really great opportunities for publication.
• 13:53
  We had a working group that published something
• 13:55
  earlier this year
• 13:57
  on bridging research policy and practise,
• 14:00
  which was really exciting.
• 14:01
  I was not a part of it,
• 14:03
  but I was able to listen in on some of the meetings
• 14:05
  and it was really cool to hear everyone
• 14:07
  going through all these international plans
• 14:10
  for Alzheimer's disease
• 14:12
  and seeing how different countries
• 14:15
  are approaching things for dementia care.
• 14:17
  That was a really cool experience.
• 14:20
  - Is there something that really stayed with you
• 14:25
  from that meeting on how each country
• 14:28
  is approaching that dementia care part?
• 14:30
  Since we were talking about that aspect,
• 14:35
  the question prior,
• 14:37
  is there something you would like to share
• 14:39
  with our audience with that regard?
• 14:42
  - Nothing super specific,
• 14:44
  but just that it was very heartening to see
• 14:47
  how many different people in different places
• 14:49
  are working hard on such an important issue
• 14:53
  and who recognise that this is not something
• 14:56
  that is contained by borders.
• 14:57
  This is something that affects people all over the world
• 15:00
  and it requires an international approach to tackle it.
• 15:04
  - Absolutely.
• 15:05
  And so I know
• 15:08
  that if you go through all the podcasts
• 15:12
  that we have available,
• 15:15
  each one of us is a different story
• 15:17
  on how they joined their PIA.
• 15:20
  So what brought you to the PIA? How did you get involved?
• 15:24
  - When I was working under my PI
• 15:28
  as a graduate research assistant,
• 15:31
  she had mentioned that they were looking
• 15:33
  for some more members and some folks
• 15:36
  to be the early career researcher
• 15:39
  on the executive committee.
• 15:41
  And I thought, "Well, I'm pretty early,"
• 15:43
  which, very early considering I still didn't have my MPH,
• 15:48
  but I was really grateful to join
• 15:50
  and really see the decision-making process
• 15:53
  and be able to contribute to putting on things
• 15:55
  like events for AIC as a member of the executive committee.
• 15:59
  Because the other thing that I understand,
• 16:01
  this is mostly aimed at early career researchers,
• 16:04
  the secret is that you don't have to be an expert
• 16:07
  to be a contributing member to a PIA.
• 16:10
  You just have to be willing to put the time and energy in,
• 16:13
  and you can make a huge difference.
• 16:17
  - Absolutely. And with you, I agree.
• 16:22
  I think having that effort,
• 16:24
  that energy, and I would like to add creativity,
• 16:29
  it's really what can help the PIA succeed
• 16:34
  and also share what we are doing with the community.
• 16:38
  I think that's what I have observed
• 16:41
  being part with our tech and dementia PIA for example,
• 16:45
  what I've seen from others,
• 16:48
  just being committed to the work and to the effort.
• 16:54
  I don't know if you have seen the same experience
• 16:57
  with your health policy, with other collaborators there.
• 17:03
  - I feel like I really have,
• 17:04
  and one of the really cool things that I've experienced,
• 17:07
  particularly when going to in-person meetings
• 17:10
  is speaking with people
• 17:12
  who do not necessarily work in policy
• 17:14
  but are interested and want to keep abreast
• 17:16
  of what's going on with it.
• 17:19
  And that's always really nice
• 17:20
  because, you know, the policy people,
• 17:23
  we know what's going on with the policy,
• 17:24
  but we don't always know what's going on
• 17:27
  directly with the very sciencey,
• 17:29
  the bench research sort of stuff.
• 17:31
  So it's cool to have someone
• 17:32
  to anchor us in that information.
• 17:35
  - No, absolutely.
• 17:36
  And that's why it's wonderful to meet and collaborate.
• 17:41
  I think these collaboration now are growing,
• 17:44
  and for example,
• 17:45
  I think our two PIAs should do something together,
• 17:48
  a session on the policy
• 17:50
  and the implication of the digital biomarkers,
• 17:54
  for example, because the people building these tools
• 17:58
  and the people thinking about access and insurance
• 18:02
  almost never shared the same rooms,
• 18:04
  and the PIAs provide that opportunity,
• 18:08
  that space, and it's very unique
• 18:11
  to Alzheimer Association.
• 18:14
  So it's very exciting.
• 18:15
  So thinking about Alzheimer Association
• 18:18
  and the big Alzheimer Association
• 18:21
  International Conference coming up,
• 18:24
  what does your PIA have planned,
• 18:28
  and what are the aims
• 18:30
  for the upcoming year as a start?
• 18:33
  Will your PIA be doing anything
• 18:36
  at this year's AIC?
• 18:38
  And will you be presenting, attending?
• 18:40
  Will I see you in person? (laughs)
• 18:42
  - Unfortunately I won't be able to make it in person,
• 18:46
  but I'm excited for everyone who is.
• 18:48
  Our PIA though is doing a lot of really cool stuff.
• 18:51
  So pull out your pencil and your notepad
• 18:53
  because we've got a lot to list off.
• 18:55
  On Saturday, July 11th, we will be out there
• 18:59
  for PIA day in the morning.
• 19:01
  On Sunday, July 12th,
• 19:04
  we will be doing an electronic guided poster session.
• 19:07
  We're titling it Context Matters:
• 19:10
  Rethinking Dementia Risk Reduction
• 19:12
  Beyond Individual Behaviours.
• 19:14
  On Monday, July 13th,
• 19:16
  we are going to be doing an intermission,
• 19:19
  which, that I was involved in ours last year.
• 19:21
  That was probably my favourite one
• 19:23
  because it's very free form
• 19:25
  and it's just a way for people to sit around
• 19:28
  and really talk about what they're interested in in policy
• 19:30
  and what background they're bringing to it.
• 19:32
  Or people from all over the world last year.
• 19:35
  And I'm really sad I'm gonna miss it,
• 19:36
  but I'm excited for the people who can make it
• 19:38
  to see what they'll be able to do.
• 19:40
  On Tuesday, July 14th, we have a featured research session
• 19:44
  that's titled Health and Dementia Care Field Gaps,
• 19:47
  Priorities, and Promising Initiatives Across Countries.
• 19:50
  And then on Wednesday,
• 19:52
  we will go ahead and collapse from exhaustion.
• 19:55
  - Excellent.
• 19:56
  That sounds like (Lillian laughs)
• 19:57
  a very, very busy time.
• 19:59
  - Yes.
• 20:00
  - Yeah, so I will definitely check this out.
• 20:04
  Can you tell me more
• 20:05
  about what usually your PIA does
• 20:09
  during the year beyond,
• 20:11
  like, the Alzheimer Association International Conference?
• 20:15
  What do you do?
• 20:17
  I'm curious to see what you do differently
• 20:19
  from our PIA, for example,
• 20:22
  to be engaged with the community.
• 20:27
  How do you communicate with the community, your audience?
• 20:31
  For example, do you have any newsletter?
• 20:34
  Do you have any journal clubs?
• 20:36
  So what do you do? Anything new this year?
• 20:40
  - Yeah, we actually did a journal club earlier this month
• 20:43
  where we did a little meet the authors, which was very cool.
• 20:48
  Usually how we handle things
• 20:50
  is after AIC, we all get together
• 20:52
  and we think about what was great,
• 20:55
  what were we so excited to talk about,
• 20:57
  and what did people seem interested
• 20:58
  in doing for the coming year.
• 21:00
  And then we take that and sort of roll that into our goals.
• 21:05
  So far we've done a few webinars on different topics.
• 21:08
  Those are recorded and available on the ISTAART website.
• 21:13
  We did the journal club.
• 21:14
  We are preparing
• 21:16
  for our existing AIC events,
• 21:21
  and then we also usually do a working group
• 21:25
  or try to aim towards a publication.
• 21:28
  We're a newer PIA, so we are trying
• 21:30
  to sort of get our feet
• 21:32
  over what we wanna do as our routines,
• 21:34
  but we are always really passionate
• 21:36
  about the things that we do go forward with.
• 21:39
  - So you say you're new.
• 21:40
  How many, do you know how many members
• 21:42
  you have at the moment?
• 21:44
  No. Oh, tough question.
• 21:45
  It's okay. - I don't off the top
• 21:47
  of my head, I'm sorry.
• 21:49
  - No, it's okay.
• 21:50
  It was a tough question and I was like,
• 21:51
  "I'll try and ask."
• 21:54
  So if I wanted to join your PIA,
• 21:57
  so what shall I do,
• 21:59
  and is there any way for me to get involved at this time?
• 22:04
  - So at this time in the year,
• 22:07
  the best thing you're gonna wanna do
• 22:08
  is just keep your eyes open for what we're doing at AIC.
• 22:13
  And if you wanna join
• 22:15
  and you are interested in pursuing any research
• 22:18
  or doing any publications with the group,
• 22:21
  let us know
• 22:23
  and we can roll those into our goals for the next year
• 22:26
  and then we'll send out communication.
• 22:28
  Also, I apologise,
• 22:30
  one of the things you mentioned on your previous question
• 22:32
  was how we communicate with people.
• 22:34
  Our LinkedIn is the main one,
• 22:35
  our LinkedIn, and then also we make sure
• 22:38
  to include our events in the weekly ISTAART newsletter.
• 22:43
  - Excellent.
• 22:44
  Thank you. No, thank you so much.
• 22:45
  That was wonderful to hear.
• 22:47
  (mellow music)
• 22:53
  Thank you. It's time to end today's podcast.
• 22:56
  Before we go, I do have a final question though.
• 23:00
  What advice do you have
• 23:02
  for someone who is just learning about ISTAART,
• 23:06
  and how has it helped you
• 23:08
  and your career be involved in this, ISTAART?
• 23:15
  - Say, my advice for anyone
• 23:17
  who is just learning about ISTAART is to join a PIA.
• 23:22
  Anything you are tangentially interested in.
• 23:25
  You do not have to be an expert.
• 23:28
  And then also watch as many recordings as you can.
• 23:31
  They're right there.
• 23:32
  You can speed 'em up if you're pressed for time.
• 23:36
  And also see how you can contribute.
• 23:40
  You can even try and see
• 23:42
  if they need any executive committee members.
• 23:44
  So once again, you do not need the research experience
• 23:48
  to join an executive committee.
• 23:50
  Just a willingness to organise, be involved,
• 23:53
  and work towards those goals for the group,
• 23:56
  and being in there,
• 23:57
  in the sauce, in the environment,
• 24:01
  is a really great way to meet new researchers,
• 24:04
  learn what the terrain of a field is,
• 24:09
  and the best ways that you can really move
• 24:13
  for your career to advance.
• 24:16
  - If you can think of two to three skills
• 24:20
  that you have learned from this experience
• 24:24
  of just being part of the health policy PIA
• 24:27
  that you didn't have before
• 24:29
  or that you think that just by being
• 24:31
  at, you know, university
• 24:34
  or being working in the lab, you will not be getting,
• 24:36
  what are those skills?
• 24:39
  - Don't know if it would be a specific skill,
• 24:41
  but it absolutely would be the knowledge
• 24:45
  of what the international policy situation looks like.
• 24:50
  That's something that obviously most researchers
• 24:53
  are focusing locally on what's going on in their country
• 24:57
  or with their populations they're working with.
• 24:59
  And that was the case with me before the policy PIA.
• 25:03
  And since joining I've become a lot more aware
• 25:06
  of how these things differ
• 25:09
  in, you know, Australia, how data sharing
• 25:12
  and that stuff is different
• 25:14
  versus if you are looking at plans and research from China,
• 25:18
  how those things work.
• 25:20
  And that's been really helpful.
• 25:21
  It's also been cool to connect with senior researchers
• 25:25
  and get a better idea of how to interact appropriately
• 25:29
  with folks as a researcher
• 25:31
  and put a little bit of extra polish on that.
• 25:34
  - Absolutely.
• 25:35
  And I think for me,
• 25:37
  it's been beautiful,
• 25:40
  because you're always a little bit afraid
• 25:43
  of engage with senior scientists,
• 25:47
  but the ISTAART and the PIAs
• 25:51
  create that environment where you're really able
• 25:53
  to meet people from all over the countries
• 25:57
  and in a more relaxed way
• 26:02
  and you really feel part of the community.
• 26:05
  So based on what you just said,
• 26:07
  that being in the PIAs really allow you
• 26:12
  to learn more about international policy,
• 26:17
  shall we say that then be part of the PIA?
• 26:19
  It is relevant from everybody,
• 26:22
  regardless of whether you are from the U.S.
• 26:26
  or you are from a country
• 26:29
  in Europe of Africa.
• 26:32
  - Absolutely.
• 26:33
  So in a lot of the work we do,
• 26:36
  even if it doesn't apply to absolutely every country,
• 26:39
  we do try to be aware of the importance of context
• 26:42
  and not assuming that one particular policy
• 26:45
  is the default policy.
• 26:48
  And we also try to make sure that
• 26:50
  what we're doing is we're looking at comparative things,
• 26:54
  so that way we can take those findings
• 26:57
  from different environments and apply them to new ones.
• 27:01
  I would say that yes,
• 27:02
  it's relevant whether you're in the U.S.
• 27:04
  or you're in South Africa or wherever you are in the world
• 27:09
  because everybody's doing things differently
• 27:12
  and everybody has great lessons to teach everyone.
• 27:16
  - Excellent. I couldn't agree more.
• 27:18
  Thank you so much, Lillian,
• 27:20
  for taking the time to join us today.
• 27:23
  And thank you everybody else for tuning in and listening.
• 27:28
  You can find profiles on myself and my brilliant guest
• 27:31
  and information on how to become involved
• 27:34
  in the ISTAART on our website
• 27:37
  at dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk
• 27:44
  and also at alz.org/istaart.
• 27:50
  There is a link in the show notes.
• 27:53
  I am Vanessa Young,
• 27:54
  and you have been listening
• 27:55
  to the "Relay Podcast"
• 27:56
  from Dementia Researcher and Alzheimer Association.
• 28:01
  Hit subscribe on YouTube,
• 28:03
  on your favourite podcast app
• 28:05
  to ensure you don't miss an episode.
• 28:07
  Thank you.
• 28:10
  Bye.
• 28:12
  (upbeat music)
• 28:14
  - [Voice Over] You have been listening
• 28:15
  to the "Relay Podcast,"
• 28:17
  delivered as a collaboration
• 28:18
  between Dementia Researcher and ISTAART.
• 28:22
  This podcast is made at University College London
• 28:25
  with generous funding
• 28:26
  from the NIHR, Race Against Dementia,
• 28:30
  Alzheimer's Association, Alzheimer's Research UK,
• 28:34
  and the Alzheimer's Society.
• 28:36
  Please like and subscribe
• 28:38
  and share your thoughts in the comments.
• 28:40
  (upbeat music)