This year's AD/PD Conference was held in Vienna, Austria from the 1st to 5th April. In this second of a two-part special we bring you highlights from the last three days of the conference.

The AD/PD Conference focuses on basic science and translational and clinical research bringing New insights on disease mechanisms and etiologies, the latest findings from clinical trials, innovative outlooks on therapy and prevention and advances in diagnostic markers.

In this special on-location recording our guest host Dr Isabel Castanho from Harvard Medical School talks with Dr Emma Garland from The University of Sheffield, Susan Rohde from UMC Amsterdam and Dr Martyna Matuszyk from the Alzheimer's Society.

Here are just a few highlights from the discussion:

• "This is why we do the science." A powerful and emotional talk from Trevor Salamon, sharing his wife's journey with young onset dementia, reminded the audience what it's all really about.
• Can your gut give you Parkinson’s? Discover new research showing how toxic proteins may travel from the gut to the brain — and how mini organoids are helping researchers prove it.
• Microglia, mice, and human brains… all pointing to the same gene? Explore how two researchers independently found SPP1 upregulated in Alzheimer’s immunotherapy studies — in both mice and humans.
• PhD students are stealing the show. From organoid development to cutting-edge methylation studies, early-career researchers are producing some of the most exciting work on display.
• "I saw your name on the poster and had to say hello". Hear how chance meetings, shared lab lines, and QR code posters are turning scientific conferences into hubs of unexpected connection.

A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.

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We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.

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