Christine Bryden

For most of her adult life, Christine had a brilliant career as a biochemist, working in the pharmaceutical industry in the UK, for the CSIRO in Australia and then as a senior executive in the Australian public service, providing advice to the prime minister on science and technology.

In 1995 she was diagnosed with younger-onset dementia at the age of forty-six, and since then has become a passionate advocate for people with dementia, addressing conferences around the world and appearing in the media. Her books have been published in several languages, and in 2003 she became the first person with dementia to be elected to the board of Alzheimer's Disease International.

Christine is a mother of three girls and now has survived dementia for long enough – defying all medical expectations – to become a grandmother to four delightful children. Her new life in the slow lane of dementia has become fulfilling in so many ways. Christine is a survivor and holds out the beacon of hope to all those being diagnosed, and to their families travelling this journey beside them.