A team of La Trobe University academics has been announced as a finalist in the 2025 Eureka Prize for a project that aims to improve dementia assessments for non-English speakers.
The team, known as MINDSET, is led by Professor Bianca Brijnath.
The project is a finalist in the Societal Impact in Science category of the prize, which is awarded to individuals or teams who, through partnership with industry, government or not-for-profit groups, have transformed research into practical solutions to address pressing global challenges.
Professor Brijnath said the team worked with interpreters, clinicians and culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) carers of people with dementia to co-design, trial and implement online training for interpreters.
“Training included modules on all aspects of dementia and its impact on cognitive and linguistic ability; explaining the tools used to assess and diagnose dementia and engaging interpreters with effective interpreting strategies for cognitive assessments,” Professor Brijnath said.
“To date, around 14 per cent of Australia’s active interpreter workforce has completed the MINDSET training and it has been rolled out to seven countries in Europe.”
La Trobe’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Innovation Professor Chris Pakes said the work of the MINDSET team was supporting multicultural communities across the globe.
“This important project is making a difference not only to our local CALD communities, but also internationally, demonstrating the impact of our research,” Professor Pakes said.
Considered the ‘Oscars’ of Australian Science, the Australian Museum Eureka Prizes reward excellence in science.
The 2025 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes will be announced at a gala award dinner at Sydney Town Hall on Wednesday, 3 September.
The MINDSET team worked with the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters, Dementia Australia, The Australian Institute of Interpreters & Translators, the Migrant Refugee Health Partnership, All Graduates Interpreting, NSW Health Interpreting Service, Televic, TIS National, and the Department of Health and Aged Care, as well as researchers from the National Ageing Research Institute, Monash University, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne and RMIT.
Contact details:
Robyn Grace, [email protected] or (0420) 826 595
