Congratulations to Postdoctoral Fellow Don Davies for receiving a grant from the Indigeneity in Teaching & Learning Fund (Office of the Vice Provost Academic, York University) for his project “Dementia Care in the Indigenous Population.” Davies is also among the inaugural recipients of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowships for Black and Indigenous Scholars.

The Canadian Indigenous population consistently demonstrates a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease relative to the general Canadian population, partly due to a higher prevalence of modifiable risk factors such as diabetes.

“Despite this increased risk, the prevalence and treatment of dementia in the Indigenous population of Canada is chronically understudied, leaving a major gap in our understanding of how this population is uniquely impacted by this chronic brain affliction,” says Davies.

His goal with the new grant is to increase knowledge of how the Indigenous population understand and experience dementia, and the impact of the disease on the community. He will use qualitative research methods to examine pathways of dementia care for Indigenous people and identify effective cultural approaches to care, focusing primarily on the the Manitoba Métis population, with which he shares a strong sense of community. This work will include constructing a survey similar to the First Nations Regional Health Survey (FNRHS) with an emphasis on dementia including Alzheimer’s disease, and modifying it for use in the Métis population.

This research will both strengthen ties between York University and the Métis nation, while promoting the study, dissemination and application of knowledge focused on unique challenges and prospects for Indigenous people coping with dementia.