Thursday 12th March 2026
VENUE: Richard Doll Lecture Theatre, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF
ORGANISERS: Oxford HDRUK and Omics & Brain Health, Oxford Population Health

Agenda:

09:30 – 10:00 REGISTRATION* & REFRESHMENTS (ATRIUM)
10:00 – 13:00 MAIN SESSION
10:00 – 10:15 From John Snow’s cholera map to the transmission of Mad Cow disease (BSE) across species and humans (Professor Cornelia van Duijn)
10:15 – 10:30 Common infectious diseases and risk of dementia: evidence from the EPIC Norfolk study (Dr Tom Littlejohns)
10:30 – 10:45 The evidence of a role of viral infections in dementia: a cross-omics analysis in UK Biobank (Associate Professor Najaf Amin)
10:45 – 11:00 The recombinant shingles vaccine is associated with lower risk of dementia (Associate Professor Maxime Taquet)

11:00 – 11:30 COFFEE AND TEA BREAK

11:30 – 13:00 KEYNOTE LECTURES
11:30 – 12:15 Trials and tribulations designing a quasi-experiment on VZV and dementia (Professor Angela Wood)
12:15 – 13:00 The study needed for repurposing VZV vaccination for dementia prevention (Professor Simon de Lusignan)

13:00 – 14:00 NETWORKING LUNCH (ATRIUM)

14:00 – 15:00 PANEL SESSION
14:00 – 14:45 The significance and relevance of quasi experimental studies: What next? (Keynote speakers, Professor Sir Aziz Sheikh, Dr Carol Koro (GSK) and Dr Donal Skelly moderated by Professor Cornelia van Duijn)
14:45 – 15:00 Audience Q&A

15:00 – 15:15 BREAK

15:15 – 15:55 EDUCATIONAL SESSION
15:15 – 15:55 Focused discussion session unpacking key themes and ideas raised throughout the day including ethics, biological mechanisms and potential next steps for dementia‑prevention aimed at Early Career Researchers and Masters/DPhil students (Dr Tom Littlejohns & Associate Prof Najaf Amin)

15:55 – 16:00 CLOSING REMARKS (Dr Tom Littlejohns)

*Please note registrations close Monday 9th March 2026 at 12:00