News

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On February 24th, I had the pleasure of taking part in the screening of the Portuguese film “Mãe” at Kinosch (Kulturfabrik).
The event was organised by the Info-Zenter Demenz (Isabel Pereira), in partnership with Escher BiBSS and the Ville d’Esch.
I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to such an important and sensitive conversation, especially regarding the crucial need to raise awareness about dementia.
It was inspiring to see a fully booked room for such an important topic. My sincere thanks to the organiser and to everyone who attended and made the evening so meaningful.

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The IMILUX Team Attended the Catholic Mass at Sacré-Cœur in Luxembourg

On February 8, the IMILUX project team attended the Sacré-Cœur Church in Luxembourg for a Portuguese-language religious ceremony aimed at the Lusophone community.

During the ceremony, the principal investigator, Dr. Ana Carolina Teixeira Santos, presented the IMILUX project, explaining its objectives and the importance of community participation in the research. Dr. Ana Carolina made a special appeal to the Lusophone community to get actively involved, emphasizing the significance of each participant’s contribution to the success of the study.

The IMILUX team thanks everyone who showed enthusiasm and expresses gratitude to Father Sérgio Mendes for his collaboration and support in promoting the project.

Those interested in participating in the IMILUX project are invited to contact the team and join this initiative.

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Honored to present our research on aging and migration at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting 2025.

https://www.gsa2025.org/

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Thrilled to announce that our article has just been published in the International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology:
“A Randomized Clinical Trial of Mindfulness Training Versus a Health Promotion Program: Impact on Cognitive and Mental Health in Older Immigrants”

In this study, we compared group-based interventions (an 8-week Mindfulness-based program vs. a Health promotion program) among older Portuguese-speaking immigrants in Luxembourg. Both interventions proved feasible and led to improvements in executive functioning, perceived stress, and anxiety. The benefits persisted for up to 3 months after the program.

A heartfelt thank you to Zitha, our collaborators, participants, and all co-authors!

🔗 Read it here: A randomized clinical trial of mindfulness training versus a health promotion program: Impact on cognitive and mental health in older immigrants – ScienceDirect

________________________________________________________________________________________________________Alheimer’s Association International Conference 2025 (Toronto, Canada)

Dr. Ana Carolina Teixeira-Santos attended the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2025, the world’s leading forum for dementia research.

Our poster, “Assessing Disparities in Depression and Loneliness Between Older Immigrants and Natives: A SHARE Analysis for Luxembourg and Switzerland”, highlighted findings on mental health inequalities and their implications for dementia prevention. It was a great moment to share results from the IMILUX project and connect with researchers, clinicians, and policymakers working towards healthier ageing worldwide.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________European Sociological Association Research Network 16 – Sociology of Health & Medicine 2025 (Elvas, Portugal)

 Dr. Ana Carolina Teixeira-Santos served as the convenor and chair of Session 9: Aging in Motion – Addressing Challenges and Opportunities for Migrant Older Adults. During this session, Dr. Juliana Ferreira presented a research work entitled “Perceived Barriers and Facilitators in the Health of Migrant Older Adults: A Systematic Review Based on Interviews”, co-authored by Anja K. Leist, and Ana C. Teixeira-Santos.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________Ciné Le Paris in Bettembourg and Ciné UTOPIA in Luxembourg City – Info-Zenter Demenz Event

On February 13th and 27th, Info-Zenter Demenz had the pleasure of welcoming over 200 people for the screenings of the Portuguese film “MÃE” at Ciné Le Paris in Bettembourg and Ciné UTOPIA in Luxembourg City. The film tells the story of “two siblings who care for their mother, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, a reality experienced by many families” and “explores the role of the informal caregiver as they cope with the various situations in their daily lives.” Dr. Ana Carolina Teixeira Santos (University of Luxembourg) and Isabel Pereira (Info-Zenter Demenz) moderated a discussion about dementia and its impact on caregivers, during which several people shared their personal experiences with the disease. João Brás and Diogo Teotónio, the producer and director, traveled from Madeira (Portugal) to attend the March 27th session and talk about their project, how the idea came about, and the challenges faced during the film’s production.