Research Funding

European Commission

Healthy Minds from 0-100 years: Optimising the use of European brain imaging cohorts ("Lifebrain"); 2017-2021; Co-applicant with Kristine B. Walhofd, University of Oslo [N, S, GB, D, E, DK, CH]

Medical Research Council (UK):

(1) Predicting MRI abnormalities with longitudinal data of the Whitehall II Substudy; 2012-17; PI - co-applicants: Geddes, Kivimäki, Mackay, Singh-Manoux, Smith.
(2) Adult Determinants of Late Life Depression, Cognitive Decline and Physical Functioning - The Whitehall II Ageing Study; 2013-17; Co-applicant with Kivimäki et al., UCL

The HDH Wills 1965 Charitable Trust:

Research into Ageing and Dementia 2012-2022; PI

Why do some people suffer from depression and memory loss as they age, whereas others stay well for the whole of their lives?

This crucial question is at the core of what I try to research here in Oxford. 

Google Scolar - Mendeley - ORCID - Scopus - Research Councils UK

Dementia, future treatment and research - Oxford University Podcast, 21th March 2017

Dementia and Depression Webinar published by Oxford AHSN Dementia Clinical Network, 13th April 2016

Talk at Whitehall II Study 30th Anniversary Celebration Event, 25th November 2015

We have selected a large group of 800 volunteers, who have been followed up over most of their adult lives (in fact for 30 years) and examine them in detail for age-related changes of mood and memory function. By also scanning these volunteers with a cutting edge magnetic resonance imaging protocol that allows us to analyse brain structure, the quality of white matter connections and the networks active in the brain, we hope to discover the mechanisms that link experience and life style in mid-life with illness developing in advancing age. Even more important, we hope to identify the factors that allow us to compensate for risk and to maintain our brain function into high age. See Project Description on MRC Website.

In a new study called "Healthy Minds from 0-100 years: Optimising the use of European brain imaging cohorts," funded as part of EU Horizon 2020, we intend to integrate 11 longitudinal mostly population-based cohort studies investigating cognitive and mental health across the life-span (n=18 500). Many subjects (n=6000) underwent MRI examinations (40 000 exams) in addition to clinical cognitive and mental health data and genetic sampling. We plan to link those databases to national databases (registries), biobanks and data from other large studies

Neurobiology of Ageing