Cohort 
2019

Maëlenn Guerchet, PhD

Epidemiologist

We need to raise awareness of dementia among the populations in low- and middle-income countries by providing more evidence of its burden.

Current Work

Senior Researcher, French Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD)

Personal Hero

Arthur Kleinman

Words of Strength

Learning from others

Vision

To reduce the scale and impact of dementia, we need to raise awareness among the population and stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries by providing more evidence on its burden, which will contribute in policy and behavior changes.

Strategy

Maëlenn is committed to developing new aging and brain health research by first revising and validating a culture- and education-fair one-stage diagnostic assessment in sub-Saharan Africa. This is a critical step in the implementation of large population-based surveys to quantify and understand the burden of dementia in this region.

Impact

As an Atlantic fellow, I have benefited from a new insight into multidisciplinary brain health research both through seminars and stimulating discussions with my fellow fellows. Together with mentorship, this has reinforced my will to contribute to a global effort towards equity in brain health.

Motivation

Data on the burden of dementia in low- and middle-income countries is still limited, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where awareness is low.

Education & Experience

Maëlenn Guerchet received her master's dregree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from the Institute of Public Health, Epidemiology and Development (ISPSED, University of Bordeaux, France). She was awarded a PhD at the University of Limoges (France). After a first post-doctoral experience in Limoges, she joined the 10/66 Dementia Research Group and the Global Dementia Observatory for Ageing and Dementia Care (King's College London, UK). She then joined the French Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD) as a senior researcher.

Awards & Honors

Listed as one of 200+ Francophone Women in Global Health (https://www.womeningh.org/wghfrancophone)