Team Leaders
Professor Lynn Rochester
Group lead, Newcastle BRC Digital Health Theme Lead and NIHR Senior Investigator
My research in mobility and digital health aims to deliver solutions to measure what matters to people, when and where it matters for relevant, inclusive and resilient health improvements in ageing and multiple long term conditions.
Professor Alison Yarnall
Deputy Director of the Clinical Ageing Research Unit, Newcastle BRC Dementia and Neurodegeneration Theme Emerging Leader and Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust lead for dementia and delirium
My research portfolio is looking to target mobility impairment in Parkinson’s disease by determining accurate measurements, mechanisms (with an emphasis on cholinergic contribution) and by pursuing potential interventions. My goal is to reduce adverse consequences associated with mobility loss, utilising Parkinson’s disease as a model of multimorbidity, including falls, cognitive changes and sarcopenia.
Professor Camille Carroll
National Specialty Lead for Neurodegenerative Diseases NIHR CRN; Co-Clinical Director, Parkinson’s Excellence Network, Parkinson’s UK
My research is focused on disease modification trials and the use of digital health technologies for monitoring and personalised care in Parkinson’s. My aim is to transform the experience of care and research for people living with Parkinson’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr Silvia Del Din
BRC Digital Health Theme Emerging Leader, Lead of the Early Career Researchers Working Group of the BioMedEng Association Council
My expertise and translational research interests focus on digital health.
I am interested to use wearable technology and develop novel analytics for quantification of digital mobility outcomes in ageing and age-related diseases (e.g., Parkinson's), to enhance remote monitoring and clinical management. In particular, my vision is to create automatic and objective solutions to help people with Parkinson’s managing their symptoms in their everyday life and ultimately improving their quality of life.
Follow the link below to a short video that describes my research vision:
Dr Rachael Lawson
Newcastle BRC Dementia, Mental Health and Neurodegeneration Theme PPIE Lead, Mental Health Dementia and Neurodegeneration Theme Educational Lead, and Parkinson’s North East and Cumbria Research Interest Group (NEC-RIG) Co-Lead
My translational research programme aims to determine the optimal measurements and mechanisms underpinning neuropsychiatric symptoms and delirium in the context of Parkinson’s, and how these conditions are associated with cognitive and motor decline. Ultimately, my goal is to improve the recognition and management of these distressing symptoms and conditions, and to improve the quality of life and long-term health outcomes of people affected by Parkinson’s.
Dr Lisa Alcock
Senior Research Associate and Gait Laboratory Lead (Clinical Ageing Research Unit)
My primary research interest involves characterising mobility (gait and balance) impairment in ageing and disease to understand the impact on daily function and relevance to clinical events such as falls. My research aims to design effective fall prevention strategies through quantifying individual capacity, environmental risk and the interaction between an individual and their environment to promote independent living and create safer homes.
Dr Ríona Mc Ardle
BRC Digital Health Theme PPIE Lead and World Young Leaders in Dementia (WYLD) Network Head of Content, Policy and Research, Steering Committee
I aim to support wellbeing and function during ageing by improving the way we prevent, diagnose and care for people with age-related conditions through novel applications of mobility research. A common theme across my research is the assessment of mobility-related outcomes, such as gait and physical activity, in people with cognitive impairments in both clinical and real-world settings using gold-standard mobility analysis methods and emerging digital methods. I am interested in developing inclusive methods to support older adults with and without age-related conditions to remain physically active and mobile for as long as possible.
Dr Lizeth H. Sloot
Newcastle University Academic Track research fellow
My research focuses on improving the models and instruments to better understand and assess motor and balance dysfunction in people with limited mobility. To gain better insight into someone’s limitations, I study more complex movements such as turning, while challenging them using different perturbation paradigms. I work towards translating my research into clinical tools to assess fall-related balance problems in the older population and develop effective balance training that adapts to an individual’s balance performance.
