The potential of AI in the detection and diagnosis of dementia in rural areas/underserved groups

About the Project

There are currently around 982,000 people with dementia in the UK with the number expected to rise to 1.4 million by 2040 (Alzheimer’s Society, 2025). With the number of people over 65 years old set to grow by around 50% in rural areas by 2039 a significant proportion will be affected by dementia. Low diagnosis rates are associated with rurality (All Party Action Group on Dementia, 2023). With no cure on the horizon for dementia timely diagnosis can help ensure that people receive the right support at the right time and be enabled to live well for longer in their communities.

Early detection and prevention of dementia are high priorities for the UK Government as evidenced by the launch of the Dementia Patient Flow Research and Innovation (R&I) Challenge (UK Government 2025). New solutions to dramatically increase the number of patients receiving a timely formal diagnosis of dementia are to be rolled out by the end of the decade.

In-line with the findings from the recent systematic review of systematic reviews, technologies for community-dwelling people with dementia (Neal, Cross, Evans et al, 2025), future research in this area should prioritize emerging artificial intelligence applications.

This PhD will build on the work of the internationally recognised Association for Dementia Studies, Worcester Biomedical and Digital Innovation and Intelligent Systems Research Groups. The successful applicant will have the opportunity to work with a multi-disciplinary team of supervisors to develop their own pathway through, and to contribute new knowledge to, this complex but crucial area of research.

The focus of this PhD could take a number of directions. Applications are welcome from clinical biochemists, biomedical scientists, AI scientists and those from related disciplines.

Supervisory Team

• Director of Studies: Dr Shirley Evans
• Supervisors: Dr Chris Bowers, Dr Allain Bueno

Research Groups:

• Association for Dementia Studies
• Worcester Biomedical Research Group
• Digital Innovation and Intelligent Systems Research Group

Application Process

To begin the application process please go to: https://www.worc.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/applying-for-a-phd/.

The Interview

All successful applicants will be offered an interview with the proposed Supervisory Team. You will be contacted by a member of the Doctoral School Team to find a suitable date. Interviews can be conducted in person or over Microsoft Teams.

Funding your PhD

For information about Doctoral Loans please visit: https://www.worc.ac.uk/study/feesand-finance/doctoral-loans.aspx

During your PhD you can access the Research Conference Support Scheme to support the costs of presenting your research at an external conference.