NSW senior honour awarded to Prof Henry Brodaty

Jewish dementia researcher Professor Henry Brodaty said he is “extremely honoured” to have been named the 2026 NSW Senior Australian of the Year.

One of Australia’s most respected clinicians and researchers in dementia care, he will now represent NSW as a finalist for Senior Australian of the Year in Canberra on January 25, 2026.

In 1972, Prof Brodaty’s father was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at just 52 years old. At that time, dementia was poorly understood and often ignored. His father’s experience inspired a lifetime of work that revolutionised the field of psychiatry and the lives of people living with dementia and their families.

“Over more than four decades we’ve moved from hopelessness to hope, from stigma to science, in the way we understand and respond to dementia,” he said.

“I’m proud to have played a part in this transformation, alongside so many dedicated colleagues, carers and people living with dementia who continue to inspire and drive our progress.”

Based at Prince of Wales Hospital and UNSW Sydney, Prof Brodaty’s influence has shaped the way governments, practitioners, researchers and society engage with dementia.

He was instrumental in establishing the Alzheimer’s movement in Australia, co-founding the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Society NSW in 1982 and ADARDS Australia in 1984, the foundation for today’s Dementia Australia.

In 1984, he was invited to the meeting where Australia was one of four countries that established Alzheimer’s Disease International, which now unites 120 countries in global advocacy.

In 1985, Prof Brodaty established one of Australia’s first memory clinics, providing multidisciplinary dementia assessments at a time when older people were often dismissed with vague diagnoses and little support. His model became the national benchmark.

He developed the General Practitioner Assessment of Cognition, a quick and reliable screening tool now used globally, and led national GP education reaching more than 5000 doctors.

As co-director of the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, Professor Brodaty has led pioneering research into dementia prevention.

He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2000.

Prof Brodaty continues to see patients as a senior psychogeriatrician at Prince of Wales Hospital and mentors young clinicians.

“This award is a tribute to my father, who lived with young-onset dementia, my mother, who was his devoted carer, and to all those living with dementia and their families,” he said.

Montefiore congratulated Prof Brodaty, noting he has had a long and valued partnership with the organisation, helping shape a better future for the ageing community and cognitive health.