Individual theme leads identify major workstreams and relevant researchers within a particular defined area, and support iDeAC members to develop a theme plan which fits within the overall iDeAC strategy. A key role is to facilitate communication within the subtheme area, responding to iDeAC initiatives in relation to funding opportunities.
BASIC AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE

Professor Sumeet MahajanÂ
Institute of Life Sciences
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Tau, amyloid and neuronal biology
Professor Sumeet Mahajan
Sumeet Mahajan is a Professor in Molecular Biophotonics & Imaging in Chemistry with a joint appointment in the Institute for Life Sciences at the University of Southampton. His group works at the life science interface. The overarching aim of the research in his group is to develop new spectroscopy and imaging techniques and apply them to extract chemical information from biological systems to understand disease processes for early, faster or more sensitive healthcare diagnostics.

Associate Professor Amritpal Mudher
School of Biological Sciences
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Tau, amyloid and neuronal biology
Associate Professor Amritpal Mudher
Dr Amritpal Mudher is a Associate Professor in Neurosciences within Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton. The overarching aim of her research is to investigate the mechanisms that underpin tau-mediated dysfunction and degeneration in tauopathies such as Alzheimer’s disease and fronto-temporal dementia (see Mudher et al 2004, Mol Psychiatry, Chee et al 2005 for early investigations). This work led her team to identify disease-modifying tau-centred therapeutic targets (See Quriase et al 2013 Mol. Psychiatry). It has also raised interesting questions about the pathological significance of established tau aggregates such as soluble forms of tau, tau oligomers and tau filaments. More recently she is assessing whether tau-mediated axonal degeneration is wallerian in nature.

Professor Jessica TeelingÂ
Biological Sciences
Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences
Life Sciences Building 85
University of Southampton
Highfield Campus
Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Neuroinflammation and infection
Professor Jessica Teeling
Jessica Teeling is a professor in Experimental Neuroimmunology within Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton. Her research focuses on understanding the immune regulatory pathways in the healthy, diseased and ageing central nervous system (CNS). Her group studies the effect of antibody mediated inflammation in the CNS, and how these responses may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, age related macular degeneration and systemic lupus erythematosis. She is particularly interested in the role of Fcgamma receptors and microglial activation.

Professor Roxana O Carare
LD 66 Clinical Neurosciences
Southampton General Hospital
South Academic Block Level D MP806
SO16 6YD
Website: www.cararegroup.org
Vascular
Professor Roxana Carare
Roxana Carare is a medically qualified Professor of Clinical Neuroanatomy and experimental neuropathology in the University of Southampton. Having graduated in general medicine in 1994 in Bucharest, Roxana completed her PhD in experimental neuropathology in 2006, in the University of Southampton, UK. The main international recognition for Roxana Carare has come from the neuroanatomy and neuropathology interdisciplinary research she leads, demonstrating the unique lymphatic drainage pathways by which fluid and soluble amyloid are eliminated from the brain along basement membranes within the walls of cerebral capillaries and arteries (Intramural Periarterial Drainage Pathways, IPAD).

Special senses
Associate Professor Tracey Newman
Dr Tracey Newman is Associate Professor in Clinical Neurosciences within Medicine at the University of Southampton. She leads a multidisciplinary group that investigates immune mediated mechanisms that lead to neuronal injury, and its consequences, in the central nervous system.  Members of the group are developing the use of biocompatible nanoparticle delivery and reporter systems.Â
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Diagnosis and Prognosis

Biomedical Imaging Unit
Laboratory and Pathology Block
Southampton General Hospital
Southampton
SO16 6YD.
Imaging (tissue)
Dr Anton Page
Dr Anton Page is the Head of The Biomedical Imaging Unit, a joint University Hospitals Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS)/University of Southampton (UoS) facility for high quality/high resolution diagnostic and research microscopy. Accredited under UKAS to ISO 15189, this core facility carries out research work for UoS, other universities and research institutes, industry and artists, together with diagnostic microscopy for UHS, and other hospitals both nationally and internationally.

Dr Tony Birch
Head of Neurological Physics
Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Imaging (human)
Dr Tony Birch
Dr Tony Birch is a clinical scientist specialising in measurement of fluid flow in the brain. His particular expertise is the application of transcranial Doppler ultrasound to measure the velocity of blood flowing in the major arteries at the base of the brain. As well as performing these measurements as a clinical service, he provides a transcranial Doppler training course for health professionals from across the UK.
Tony is very active in research where he has two primary goals; in collaboration with others he is developing:
- New methods to measure how well the brain can regulate its own blood supply (cerebral autoregulation).
- New methods to measure the fluid pressure on the brain (cerebrospinal fluid pressure).
Both of these measurements are desperately needed to improve the care of patients with conditions including stroke, dementia, head trauma, meningitis, hydrocephalus, sickle cell disease and many more, less well known, and often mis-diagnosed conditions.

Principle Clinical Scientist
Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Imaging (human)
Dr Sofia Michopoulou
Sofia is a principal clinical scientist, one of the medical physics experts (MPE) for nuclear medicine and the deputy lead for nuclear medicine physics. She supports the general nuclear medicine, SPECT/CT and PET/CT services at UHS and leads the introduction of new diagnostic and therapeutic techniques.
Sofia teaches medical imaging at BSc and MSc level at the University of Southampton and University of Surrey, and delivers part of the Fellows of Royal College of Radiology (FRCR) physics module.
Sofia’s research interests focus on the development of imaging biomarkers for disease characterisation in neurology and oncology.

Wessex Neurosciences Centre
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Neuropsychology
Professor Rosaleen McCarthy
Professor Rosaleen McCarthy is the lead neuropsychology consultant and head of the neuropsychology department. Her research interests are in disorders of memory as well as in impairments of perception, language and attention. She works with people who have younger onset dementia, cerebra-vascular disease, head injuries, epilepsy and brain tumours. She collaborates with the neurologists in diagnosing complex cases.
CLINICAL TRIALS AND THERAPEUTICS

Dr Boyd GhoshÂ
Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust
University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust
Clinical Trials
Dr Boyd Ghosh
Dr Boyd Ghosh is a consultant neurologist. He graduated from St. Bartholomew’s and The Royal London Medical School in 2000. Junior medical posts were carried out in London, New Zealand and Bath. He was a Neurology clinical fellow in Frenchay (Bristol) before studying for a PhD in Cambridge with James Rowe and John Hodges. Research during his PhD involved Parkinson’s plus disorders with a particular emphasis on cognition and imaging in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). He is currently a consultant neurologist in the Wessex Neurological Centre in Southampton and Salisbury Hospital as well as honorary teacher at the University of Southampton.

Dr Jay Amin
Associate Professor in Psychiatry of Older Age
Memory Assessment and Research Centre
Tom Rudd Unit
Moorgreen Hospital
Southampton
SO30 3JB
Clinical Trials
Dr Jay Amin
Dr Amin is an Associate Professor in Psychiatry of Older Age within Medicine at the University of Southampton. His research focus is on the role of inflammation in Dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. He is also principal investigator for several commercial and non-commercial trials at the Memory Assessment and Research Centre in Southampton.
His research focus is on the role of inflammation in Dementia with Lewy bodies, Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. He is also principal investigator for several commercial and non-commercial trials at the Memory Assessment and Research Centre in Southampton.
DEMENTIA CARE AND PREVENTION

Health Sciences Student Office
University of Southampton
Highfield Southampton
SO17 1BJ
Post-diagnostic care
Professor Jackie Bridges
Jackie Bridges is a professor of Older’s People Care at the University of Southampton. Her programme of work focuses on the organisation and delivery of health care to older people with complex needs. She leads a major programme of research focused on professional work and organisational change related to older people’s care, and steers the development and delivery of associated educational provision within Health Sciences. Jackie leads the Ageing and Dementia research theme and is an investigator for NIHR CLAHRC Wessex. She is also Director for the NIHR CLAHRC Wessex Research Capacity in Dementia Care programme

Faculty of Medicine
University of Southampton
South Academic Block
Southampton General Hospital
Southampton
SO16 6YD
Lifecourse
Associate Professor Dr Sandrine Willaime-Morawek
Associate Professor Dr Sandrine Willaime-Morawek leads a research group that investigates the role of the microenvironment on the activity of stem cells in the developing, adult or pathological brain. She is part of the Centre for Human Development, Stem Cells & Regeneration and the Southampton Neuroscience Group.Her research interests include the study of early developmental exposure and their effect on later life phenotype and risk factors for conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, she uses patients-derived stem cells to model in vitro early development of pathological biochemical features