A message from Wicking's Director - Professor James Vickers

A message from Wicking's Director - Professor James Vickers

As 2024 comes to an end, I would like to pass on our deep thanks to all participants in ISLAND. We are now just about 5 years into the project, and we are so pleased that so many Tasmanians continue to be involved in the study, and that we continue to attract new participants from across the state. The impact of the project is underwritten by the thousands of people who continue to be engaged in the project, particularly with our main annual surveys but also for the range of sub-studies that have been developed since we began.

In 2025, we are due to review the main outcomes of the study at the 5-year mark, including whether participants have demonstrated sustained beneficial changes in their risk profile. The substudies have also been very successful, particularly in the areas of digital (eg TasTEST) and blood ‘biomarkers’ related to brain ageing. These investigations have us at the forefront of a rapidly developing field, and has also opened up new collaborations nationally and internationally.

2025 brings to us a renewed focus on development of the ‘Dementia Risk Profile’ tool and the potential for new substudies related to cognitive stimulation. In the meantime, we would like to express how grateful we are for the support of the ISLAND community and we look forward to your continued engagement next year.