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About Wicking Dementia Centre

Who we are

The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre is at the forefront of translational research and support for issues confronting people with dementia and their carers. Projects are being carried out in Tasmania and nationally, across research fields such as neuroscience, medicine, nursing, psychology and sociology, health, economics and policy.

The Wicking Centre, a flagship of the University's College of Health and Medicine, was established in 2008 and is core-funded by the J.O. & J.R. Wicking Trust (managed by Equity Trustees) with significant contributions from the University of Tasmania.

What is Dementia

Dementia is a syndrome which covers a spectrum of degenerative disorders. It manifests as a progressive decline in functioning that affects cognitive skills, personality and behaviour.

Dementia has a profound impact on individuals, families and communities, posing significant challenges to quality of life.

The number of people with dementia across the world increases every year as our global population ages. It is fast becoming known as the public health concern of the 21st Century.

Our Mission

The Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre (WDREC) is unique in Australia as an integrated dementia centre that is active across a range of disciplines, seeking to improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers. The WDREC aims to:

  • Better understand the diseases affecting the brain that cause progressive decline in functioning affecting memory, problems solving skills, function and social behaviour;
  • Develop evidence-based models of care provision for people with dementia and their carers;
  • Determine how to reduce risk of dementia by building resilience through ageing
  • Provide educational programs to build knowledge and understanding of dementia within the community.
Professor James Vickers, Director.

Annual Reports

To hear more about our achievements please download our annual reports.

Current Newsletter

March 2024

Previous Newsletter Issues

December 2023 | September 2023 | June 2023 | March 2023 
December 2022 | September 2022 | June 2022 | March 2022
December 2021 | September 2021 | June 2021 | March 2021
December 2020 | September 2020 | June 2020 | March 2020
December 2019 | September 2019 | June 2019 | March 2019
December 2018