What is your current role in EPAD?

I am an active member of the Recruitment Core Team, which includes looking at how to increase recruitment by reaching out to sites where necessary and troubleshooting problems as they occur. I am also the country coordinator for Scotland’s TDCs and I am an expert blinded rater for the CDR in all of the Scottish sites. I work for EPAD as a member of the Recruitment Core Team one day per week.

What did you do prior to joining EPAD?

I still work as the Network Manager for NHS Scotland in the Neuroprogressive and Dementia network 4 days per week. My professional background is Mental Health Nursing and have over 20 years experience in ‘hands on’ nursing people with dementia in both in a hospital and community setting before working as a manager with the network.

Tell us a bit about the institution/company/organisation you work for.

I work for the NHS and feel passionately proud of the NHS and the concept of access to free healthcare from cradle to grave. The Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network is funded by the Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist’s Office but delivered through the NHS. We encourage access and opportunities for all, to high quality clinical research throughout Scotland for people with these diseases.

What are your expectations from the EPAD project?

Our main barrier to delivering studies is recruitment. I hope that EPAD can deliver the necessary cohort of trial ready participants to allow medicinal preparations to be tested quickly and safely and therefore we find something that can change the lives of people who have dementia or are at risk of developing it.