Explore Coco’s journey in our latest We Are Schmidt Science Fellows film

After witnessing her grandmother’s experience with dementia, Coco Newton, a 2023 Schmidt Science Fellow, has dedicated herself to improving how this disease is diagnosed and treated.

She pivoted from neuroscience to systems engineering to help build a healthcare system that can exploit new innovations to identify dementia early and support all patients fairly.

Coco recognizes that the innovation of new diagnostic tools alone is not enough. “I’m trying to understand how we build a system around that innovation to make it implementable and usable by clinicians and patients”, she says.

During the past two years, with teams led by Professor John Clarkson at the University of Cambridge Engineering Design Centre and Professor Dennis Chan at UCL Psychology and Language Sciences, Coco has been working to create that system.

Coco and the team were awarded £400,000 in January 2025, by ARIA, the UK’s R&D agency, to expand their work to include neurotechnologies like brain computer interfaces and deep brain stimulation. They are developing an ethical framework and practical toolkit to improve how these innovations are implemented in the UK NHS health system and how all brain disorders are managed.

As a recipient of the Women in Neuroscience UK Rising Star Award in November 2024, Coco emphasizes that dementia and brain health care must go beyond the development of neurotechnologies and theories of systems engineering. She advocates for a cross-disciplinary and codesign approach focussed on user needs to improve post-diagnostic support, early diagnosis and prevention in the future.

Her goals align with the mission of the Schmidt Science Fellows: to foster a future where interdisciplinary science thrives without limit, accelerating discoveries to benefit all. Coco envisions a world where dementia is preventable, and where timely and effective treatment is accessible to everyone.