Making its final appearance in 2015, Movies at Macquarie is back, creating meaningful memories once more. This week, join Professor Amanda Barnier, Professor Greg Savage, and Dr Carolyn Orr, from the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders and the Macquarie University Clinic and Hospital, for a panel discussion after the screening of Still Alice, a film about a woman diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

“Still Alice offers vivid, personal insights into a diagnosis of dementia. We can see exactly what it means for a person, especially for a relatively young person as in this movie to start to lose their cognitive abilities and sense of self as the disease progresses. We also see what it means for those who love them, their families and carers as well as their colleagues and communities,” says Amanda.

The movie follows the life of a linguistics professor at Columbia University, Dr Alice Howland (Julianne Moore), who is diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s after she notices she is forgetting simple things like words and the path she follows on her daily jog. With her family by her side, the once-vibrant woman endeavours to hang on to her sense of self for as long as possible, reflecting the very real struggle experienced by dementia sufferers daily.

“Every year, more Australians and their families are facing a diagnosis of dementia. Alzheimer’s Australia tells us that dementia is the single greatest cause of disability in Australians aged 65 and over,” says Carolyn.

Following the film, the three panellists will talk about the current memory research they are undertaking, using examples from Alice’s story to explain what memory loss involves and what it really means for an individual.

“Researchers and clinicians at Macquarie are part of a national and global effort to better understand how to predict and protect against dementia. We are also working to support people and their families as they are diagnosed and live with dementia,” says Greg.

Event details
When: Thursday 22 October
Time: From 5.30pm
Venue: E7B Courtyard
RSVP:  Online
Cost: Free. Additional costs apply for food and beverages.

Learn more about Professor Barnier, Professor Greg Savage, and Dr Carolyn Orr’s research.