DEMENTIA IN SOCIETY
Changing of the guard: INTERDEM has a new Chairperson in 2022 Myrra Vernooij-Dassen stepped down as Chairperson of the INTERDEM network (Early detection and timely INTERvention in DEMentia) at the end of 2021. She is succeeded by Marjolein de Vugt. We spoke to the outgoing Chairperson about her time in the role and to the Chairperson-elect about her goals and hopes for the future.
Myrra Vernooij-Dassen
Myrra Vernooij-Dassen You joined INTERDEM in 1999 and became Chairperson in 2009. What did you hope to achieve during your time in the role and did you manage to reach your goals? My main goal was INTERDEM taking responsibility for the complex field of psychosocial dementia research. Chairing INTERDEM is a team effort carried out with its board. We tried to provide guidance by Manifestos in which we indicated the strengths and weaknesses of psychosocial dementia research and set the research agenda.
the network. It was a pleasure to work within an atmosphere of ambition and friendship. The INTERDEM network is flourishing and I am very confident that it will continue to do so with Marjolein de Vugt as the new Chair. It-was a pleasure to work within an atmosphere of ambition and friendship. The INTERDEM network is flourishing and I am very confident that it will continue to do so with Marjolein de Vugt as the new Chair. Reaching our ambitious goals may require many years and there will always be new ones.
grandmothers. I did not perceive their years with dementia as lost years, I am grateful for having had this time with our mothers (in law), making it at the very end acceptable to let them go. These experiences made me even more motivated to collaborate with people with dementia.
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It was a pleasure to work within an atmosphere of ambition and friendship. The INTERDEM network is flourishing and I am very confident that it will continue to do so with Marjolein de Vugt as the new Chair.”
A major strength was the state of psycho- What initially sparked your interest in and logical interventions, but social aspects in passion for dementia research? the context of dementia were not clearly articulated. Since dementia is a multifacto- There was no initial spark; there was fear rial syndrome we consider that at least the for dementia. I was trained as a nurse and Myrra Vernooij Dassen three health domains formulated by the WHO, medical sociologist and wanted to become physical, mental and social health, should a researcher when a job was offered to me be intensively explored. This requires inter- on dementia research in nursing homes. I Can you share some personal highlights disciplinary collaboration. However, a major hesitated, because dementia was a theme I from your time as Chairperson and some of weakness in dementia research is working in wanted to avoid. However, I got the job, strug- the main achievements of INTERDEM so far? silos rather than interdisciplinary. gled with my fear and managed to overcome it by curiosity taking over. The growth and thriving of INTERDEM is a The urgency for interdisciplinary research continuous highlight. It is the world’s largest also arose from my participation in the Years later, life itself made it impossible to network on psychosocial interventions with ongoing debates in the Scientific Advisory avoid dementia in my own social environ- a very high attendance of yearly meetings in Board of the Joint Programme Neurodegen- ment. The value of our work for daily practice which we inspire each other and enjoy being erative Diseases (JPND). This led to another was beyond my expectations. together, even virtually. goal: psychosocial research taking its place in dementia research. My family benefitted a lot from our gained Like in the early years there is still a spirit knowledge. Most important was blaming of exchanging new developments and our Taking responsibility does not only mean dementia for changed behaviour and us meetings provide a platform to new initiaproviding guidance, but particularly stimu- continuing to keep our mothers included in tives. These include new research proposals lating and facilitating new initiatives from their favourite role as mothers (in-law) and and building new structures such as the 24 Dementia in Europe
