Research Areas

Our Staff

Our dedicated staff are key to the success of the network

Our team work across Scotland to deliver high-quality neuroprogressive and dementia research.

The table below gives a quick at-a-glance look at our senior team and geographical spread, with full profiles following.

Dr Emma Law
Strategic Network Manager

Jacqui Kerr
Network Manager

Dr Tom Russ
Network Champion

Tayside

Justine Hudson
Senior Clinical Studies Officer

Tiffany Stewart
Clinical Studies Officer

Kate Ferguson
Clinical Studies Officer

Lothian

Jessica Crossan
Senior Clinical Studies Officer

Maria Dewar
Clinical Studies Officer

Kirsty Kennedy
Clinical Studies Officer

Emma Fleming
Clinical Studies Officer

Bernie McInally
Clinical Studies Officer

Greater Glasgow & Clyde

Catriona McNeill
Senior Clinical Studies Officer

Diane Frew
Clinical Studies Officer

 

Grampian

Julie Scott
Clinical Studies Officer

Ruth Valentine
Clinical Studies Officer

 

Lanarkshire

Tracey Baird
Senior Clinical Studies Officer

Sheila McFadyen
Clinical Studies Officer

Fife

Fleur Davey
Clinical Studies Officer

Highland

Joanna Matheson
Clinical Studies Officer

Ayrshire & Arran

Mark Wilson
Clinical Studies Officer

The Senior Team

Dr Emma Law
Strategic Network Manager

In my role as the Strategic Manager for the Neuroprogressive and Dementia research Network (NDN), we have the opportunity to find strategies to include the under served groups in our society, in research. These may include those living with in remote and rural locations, part of marginalised communities such as LGBTQ+, or the oldest old, to name a few. We are also engaged in ensuring our Patient and Public Involvement groups in both 'Partners in Research' and 'Research in Care Home voices' remain strategically placed within the centre of all our activities.

Jacqui Kerr
Network Manager

I graduated from University of Paisley as a Mental Health Nurse in 2000 and went on to complete my Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Gerontology) at University of Paisley in 2003. My nursing profession started Ayrshire and Arran caring for older adults in hospital and community-based settings.

My journey into clinical trial research began in 2006 within the field of Alzheimer Disease research and then in 2015, I joined the Network as a Senior Clinical Studies Officer for NHS Lothian. In 2021 I went back to studying with University of Stirling to complete my Master of Science in Global Issues of Gerontology and Ageing. In September 2023 I took up post as the Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network Manager.

 

Dr Tom Russ
Network Champion

I trained in medicine and psychiatry in Edinburgh, the Highlands, and London and completed a PhD in dementia epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh. I am a consultant psychiatrist in NHS Lothian, working in the memory clinic and two specialist dementia units. I am Network Champion of the NRS Neuroprogressive and Dementia Network and Director of the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre at the University of Edinburgh.

NHS Tayside

Tiffany Stewart
Clinical Studies Officer

I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 2008 from The University of Abertay, Dundee. I have worked in a research setting since then, working on research studies involving healthy adults and patients in the adult mental health population and has also spent time working for Tayside Medical Science Centre as a clinical trials monitor. Whilst working for the Department of Psychiatry at The Royal Edinburgh Hospital, I completed a part-time MSc by Research at The University of Edinburgh.

More recently, I have completed an MSc in Health Psychology at the University of Stirling (2021) and has become Scotland's first registered clinical research practitioner - a scheme launched by NIHR in March 2021.

Kate Ferguson
Clinical Studies Officer

I am a registered mental health nurse and have been with the network for 6 years in January 2024. My role within the network is a Clinical Studies officer, for which I am responsible for setting up, coordinating and day to day running of both commercial and non-commercial trails across a plethora of Neuroprogressive illnesses. I also help out on other studies ran by my colleagues, by supporting the administration and delivery of intravenous IMPs.

NHS Lothian

Jessica Crossan
Senior Clinical Studies Officer

I have recently joined the network as a Senior Clinical Studies Officer. Prior to this role, my research nurse career begun in the Clinical Research Facility where I learnt the fundamental principles of clinical research.  Research and neurosciences have been a longstanding interest of mine as clinical trials will ultimately improve patient outcomes in the future.

Alongside this role, I am completing a MSc in Clinical Trials at the University of Edinburgh. I am in my final year of the programme, and I am applying the knowledge I have gained so far from further study by developing a hypothetical clinical trial protocol for a study in Dementia with Lewy Bodies. I am due to finish this in June 2024.

Maria Dewar
Clinical Studies Officer

I am a senior Research Nurse with over 30 years of experience in NHS Lothian. After completing a degree in Nursing Studies at Edinburgh University, I qualified and worked as a midwife in the South of England. I returned to Edinburgh to work in Reproductive Health research at the University of Edinburgh. I then moved to Respiratory Medicine at the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh in the role of Research Manager conducting CF Gene Therapy, Asthma and COPD Trials. Following semi-retirement, I joined the network in May 2015 as a Clinical Studies Officer and am currently working on clinical research projects in the disease areas of Parkinson’s Disease, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease.

Kirsty Kennedy
Clinical Studies Officer

I joined the network in November 2020 as an experienced Senior Research Nurse and Registered General Nurse (Adult). Before joining Neuroprogressive and Dementia Research, I worked in Diabetes Research for NHS Lothian and Hypertension and Cardiovascular Research with the University of Edinburgh. I have completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Clinical Trials with the University of Edinburgh and hold a BA in Adult Nursing.

Prior to my career in clinical research, I worked in Acute Medical Admissions & Acute Medical Directorate at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. I also hold a BA in Business and Marketing, and before my nursing career, I worked as a Researcher for a consultancy firm in the fields of health, education, and social care across Scotland.

Emma Fleming
Clinical Studies Officer

I have recently joined the Lothian NDN team as a Clinical Studies Officer.  After qualifying as a nurse 21 years ago, I worked in both Edinburgh and the Borders in Nursing Home Care, Orthopaedic theatres, Accident and Emergency and then Orthopaedics at ward level  before deciding to move into world of Clinical Research.  I previously worked at the Edinburgh Clinical Research Facility for the last 10 years, firstly as a Research Nurse and then for the last 9 years as a Senior Research Nurse.  In my time at the CRF, I gained a good grounding and education in clinical research and worked on various studies and trials covering a broad range of specialities including GI, Respiratory, Urology, Neurosurgical, Cardiovascular, Rheumatology, Infectious diseases and Diabetes. I also have experience of working on Phase 1/ FIH studies.  I worked on and supported the NDN on several of their studies that were run through the CRF, which is where I realised this was the area that I wished to move into and specialise in, and when the time was right, I successfully applied for a post with the Network.

Bernie McInally
Clinical Studies Officer

I have been a Clinical Studies Officer with the NDN since 2010, and working with ENRICH (ENabling Research In Care Home) Scotland since 2011. Before joining the research team, I worked as a Community Psychiatric Nurse (CPN) in older adults for 20 plus years, during which time I set up nurse led clinics in the Scottish Borders. I later went on to specialising in Dementia/Alzheimer’s early/differential diagnosis which brought me to the NDN.

NHS Grampian

Julie Scott
Clinical Studies Officer

I joined the Network in October 2018.  Prior to that I worked as a Registered Mental Health Nurse on a Dementia Unit in Inverurie for many years.  I currently work on trials for Parkinson’s, MND, Alzheimers & MS.

Ruth Valentine
Clinical Studies Officer

I qualified as a Mental Health Nurse in 2002 and have worked in various roles mainly with Acquired Brain Injury, Neuro-progressive and Genetic Conditions. 

I began working in research in 2011 when I moved to Oxford to work with DeNDRoN.

I joined NDN in 2021 and work on a variety of studies including Evoke, Enroll-HD and Future-MS.