‘Buddy Pairs’: A novel pilot scheme crafting knowledge exchange between biomedical dementia researchers and people affected by dementia – Innovative practice

Abstract

The 'Buddy Pairs' pilot project, launched at the University of Edinburgh, created opportunities for people affected by dementia (people living with a diagnosis and care partners) and dementia lab researchers to participate in knowledge exchange conversations through experiential lab tours. The primary aims were to raise awareness and understanding of current dementia research and its practices, as well as allow biomedical researchers to learn about the lived experiences and research concerns of those affected by dementia. This scheme found success by flipping normative 'speaker-audience' communication setups and foregrounding the expertise held by, and communication needs of, people affected by dementia.

Translational neuroscience: the state of the nation (a PhD student perspective)

“…A recent example of this, from the University of Edinburgh, is the ‘Buddy Pairs’ scheme. Here, dementia research laboratories were paired with individuals who had lived experience of dementia (both patients and carers; Kennedy et al , 2019 ). The scheme involved lab tours to facilitate knowledge exchange within these pairs.…”