Ľudmila Kučíková

PhD in Computational Psychiatry & Neuroscience | Dementia early identification & prevention

Ľudmila, you are a remarkable young neuroscientist, with a lifetime goal to contribute to early identification and prevention efforts in dementia research. Can you tell us more about your work?

My work shifts the perspective from the sadness of Alzheimer’s being incurable to the hope of aging well. We now know that over 40% of Alzheimer’s cases are preventable. And even when prevention isn’t possible, early detection can help manage the disease and reduce its negative impact.

That’s where my research comes in, we aim to identify who is at the greatest risk, years before any symptoms appear, so that treatment can start when it is most effective and when the brain is not yet too damaged.

You are one of the first scientists to point out changes in the brain function similar to Alzheimer’s already in 17-21 years old people. What led you to study such a young group – the youngest group that has been even researched in connection with Alzheimer’s?

Since we now know that Alzheimer’s begins in the brain years before symptoms appear, like memory loss, researchers have started studying younger populations. Our group had a rich dataset across different ages and found brain function differences in at-risk individuals as early as their 40s and 50s.

That made me wonder – how early do these changes begin? I focused on the youngest participants to see if early brain vulnerabilities were already detectable around the age of 20. My findings don’t mean that these people will get Alzheimer’s Disease because there are many risk and resilience factors influencing whether we will develop the disorder or not.

But  it’s showing us that we need to focus on prevention efforts already among young adults.

You have also published several publications in prestigious scientific journal, which is an incredible accomplishment. Can you share with us some of the articles, for aspiring scientists who would like to get inspired?

“Genetic risk factors of Alzheimer’s Disease disrupt resting-state functional connectivity in cognitively intact young individuals” published in Journal of Neurology is the piece of research where we show functional brain differences in 17-21 years’ old carriers of risk factors for Alzheimer’s.

“Computational psychiatry and computational neurology: seeking for mechanistic modeling in cognitive impairment and dementia” published in Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience is an article where we propose new ways of researching dementia, using the combination of artificial intelligence and mathematical modelling.

One more that I would like to highlight is

“Next generation brain health: transforming global research and public health to promote prevention of dementia and reduce its risk in young adult populations” published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity is a collaborative project where we explain that new way of research and healthcare policies are needed to prevent dementia and should target young adults.

If readers are interested in checking out even more, they can search for my name on Google Scholar and will get a full list.

You were chosen as one of the ambassadors by the Alzheimer’s Association.

There are only 25 ambassadors in the whole world for this association. How did it feel to be chosen for this important role and what does this role mean for you?

Being selected felt very special because there were hundreds of applicants from all over the world who were eager to be a part of the largest dementia-related organization in the world.

For me, this role meant opportunities and connections. I urge everyone to become a member of a professional association. Suddenly, the doors to new opportunities, that you might not even know about, open.
I had a chance to help run the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2023, held in Amsterdam, where over 8 thousand researchers and clinicians from all over the world came together to share new scientific discoveries and progress.

I witnessed one of the most crucial moments in dementia research when the first ever drug for Alzheimer´s Disease was announced at this conference. You can imagine a massive round of applause, cheers, and happiness of thousands of scientists who are devoting their lives to studying these diseases. And I was just standing there in awe, being extremely grateful that I could contribute my little to getting this pivotal moment in science out there.

You were studying at The University of Aberdeen and The University of Edinburgh and afterwards you went to do your PhD at The University of Sheffield, where you worked in collaboration with the Department of Old Age Psychiatry, University of Cambridge. What was your journey to get into these renowned universities?

My biggest dream at high school was to study at the University of Edinburgh, but I got rejected.
This led me to Aberdeen. While studying, I applied to all internships and all research positions so I could get more experience and apply to Edinburgh university for my master’s, which I did and got accepted.

Despite having achieved objectively bigger and better things later on, this is
still one of my favourite successes because it was a huge dream of mine to study at such prestigious institution with world-class facilities and some of the world-leading experts.

There, I joined the international Prevent-Dementia research group, which gave me a great network of researchers. One of them, who had a joint professorship at the University of Cambridge and the University of Sheffield, offered me a PhD position, but I still had to interview to get funding.
At the time, I was already accepted to a PhD programme at the University of Edinburgh.
Deciding whether to stay at Edinburgh university or leave for that Sheffield/Cambridge position was one of the hardest decisions in my career so far because both offered some great advantages and some disadvantages.

What challenges did you face on your journey?

Haha, luck. I always joke that my significant career progression milestones are defined by unprecedented events because I graduated from my master’s into a global pandemic and then finished my PhD into this economic and societal turmoil, so navigating career progression when the job market is broken is not the greatest experience.

But in general, the biggest challenge has been navigating this science and research space. I am a first-generation university graduate in my family, so I did not have a safe net of knowledge from my family and many times had to rely on my gut feeling and trying and failing.

Would you say that women in science are at a disadvantage even in 2025?

Yes. Stereotypes and inherent biases are still present, although there’s been some progress in recent year. There is still problem with underrepresentation and lower recognition.

I have often been the only woman at the table, and the more technical the table is, the truer that statement becomes.

What is next in your career and what is your ultimate career goal?

Career-wise, my past few years were super busy and although I thrive in chaos of dozens of ongoing projects, for once I just hope I can find a way to slow down and reassess my priorities.

I find it extremely important to stop every now and then and think whether “what we always wanted” is what we still want and need.

And I am currently at this point that I can take a deep breath and think about my next career steps. Because PhD and career in academia in general
can be very unstable, my next step is to find some stability. I am very purpose-driven and ambitious, so my ultimate career goal is leadership in research, but in what shape and form it will be, we will all get surprised, including me.

If you could give one advice to a young girl or woman who wants to follow her dream and goals, what would it be?

Talk to people, make connections, don’t be afraid to ask for help when needed, but also have confidence and trust your heart, your knowledge, and your experience.

Is there a book, podcast or quote you would recommend to our readers that has inspired you?

“Seeing people is no small task.” It’s a quote from Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson and it very much reflects how I want to treat people in my personal and professional life and how I hope to be treated.

Just a simple act of noticing that we all are different people with different aspirations and different life stories and respecting them is what I am very inspired by.