Media Release: Congratulations to 2026 Senior Australian of the Year

National Seniors Australia (NSA) has congratulated 2026 Senior Australian of the Year, Professor Henry Brodaty AO, for his work transforming the diagnosis, care, and prevention of dementia.

Motivated by his father’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease in 1972, Professor Brodaty embarked on a career that transformed psychiatry and the lives of people living with dementia and their families.

In 2012, Professor Brodaty co-founded the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing and led research that enhanced the world’s understanding of risk and prevention. His Maintain Your Brain trial showed that cost-effective and targeted interventions can significantly delay onset and even prevent the now leading cause of death for Australians.

NSA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Grice, said he was delighted 78-year-old Professor Brodaty’s lifetime work transforming the lives of people living with dementia – through advancing scientific knowledge to providing invaluable support and resources – has been recognised.

“Professor Brodaty’s well-deserved recognition demonstrates the importance of his experience and work, as evidenced through his international research that has enhanced the world’s understanding of the risk and prevention of dementia,” Mr Grice said. 

“Too often, older Australians, despite their experience, are portrayed as problems instead of solutions. The ageing population is seen as an impending cost as opposed to a potential opportunity. The number of people aged 65+ is expected to grow by 2.35 million by 2041, and those aged 85+ expected to grow by almost 750,000 over the same time.  

“Professor Brodaty, and the Senior Australian of the Year award, reinforce that older people contribute in ways that can’t be measured. Without these builders and their experience, Australia wouldn’t be what it is today.”  

It is a philosophy at the heart of NSA’s Experience Matters campaign designed to change the perception and portrayal of older Australians; to promote the importance and impart the benefits of knowledge, wisdom, and insight gained during a lifetime of experience. 

“A true pioneer and leader, Professor Brodaty embodies and exemplifies the very essence of experience and with it, the potential of an undervalued cohort,” Mr Grice said.  

“We congratulate Professor Brodaty for the difference he is making to people diagnosed with dementia in Australia and around the world, and the example he has set to all Australians that Experience Matters.”