Dementia Masterclass

Laura Ajram

Chief Executive, British Neuroscience Association

Laura is the Chief Executive of the British Neuroscience Association.

David Chambers

Head of Biology (Professorial Research Fellow), University College London, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases

David is a trained neuroscientist and systems biologist whom specializes in uncovering the molecular logic of neuronal dysfunction and the associated drug discovery processes. He has an established independent academic and pharma research career that spans more than 20 years and this work has resulted in the identification of several novel mechanisms that drive neuronal behaviour as well as more than 60 published articles. David first studied genetics at The University of Nottingham before being awarded a PhD in Human Molecular Genetics at The University of Manchester. David gained further post-doctoral experience at GlaxoSmithKline (GSK; formerly SmithKlineBeecham [SKB]) before taking up a Senior Research Fellowship at UMDS, tenure at King’s College London and a subsequent senior role at Grunenthal GmbH. Thus, through his roles in both the Academic and Pharmaceutical sectors, David has a wide perspective on neuroscience-focussed drug discovery. Furthermore, David has worked alongside many biotechnology companies to help develop and refine their products for various life science markets.

John Hardy

Chair of Molecular Biology of Neurological Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology

Professor Sir John Hardy is the Chair of Molecular Biology of Neurological Disease at the UCL Institute of Neurology with over 23,000 citations. In recognition of his exceptional contributions to science, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2009. In 2022 he was awarded a Knighthood in New Year’s honours in recognition of contributions to human health and dementia research.

Ashton Harper

Global Medical Affairs Indication Lead, Roche Diagnostics

Ashton is the Global Medical Affairs Indication Lead for Neurosciences at Roche Diagnostics, providing strategic direction for Roche Diagnostics' rapidly growing neurology portfolio, focusing on evidence generation, external collaborations, medical education, and KOL engagement. Ashton joined Roche Diagnostics in August 2020 as the Head of Medical Affairs for the UK & Ireland, leading clinical research across various therapeutic areas, including oncology, cardiology, neurology, infectious diseases, critical care, and women’s health.

Ashton studied medicine at University College London, earning both an MBBS and a B.Sc. in physiology and pharmacology. He worked as a doctor in the NHS and achieved membership in the Royal College of Surgeons. During his surgical training, he was awarded a postgraduate fellowship to the Cleveland Clinic in the USA to observe experts in inflammatory bowel disease.

Outside of his role at Roche, Ashton has been the UK & Ireland Chapter Lead of the Medical Affairs Professional Society since February 2022.

Throughout his career, Ashton has designed and initiated numerous clinical trials across a range of therapeutic areas and has frequently lectured internationally. He has been published in fields such as surgery, gastroenterology, neurology, infectious diseases, and microbiology, and has presented at multiple international medical conferences

Fiona Jeganathan

Head of Pharmacology and Screening (Principal Research Fellow), University College London, Department of Neuromuscular Diseases

Dr Jeganathan is Head of Screening and Pharmacology at the Alzheimer’s Research UK Drug Discovery Institute at University College London. Her experience spans more than 20 years in translational drug discovery in industry and academia as well as business development and strategic partnerships. Her technical experience spans bespoke assay development across broad therapeutic areas including neurology, oncology and immunology and has driven early-stage discovery and development through to candidate selection. She is an expert in high-throughput technologies and automation, structural approaches to drug discovery and cell and cell-free assays. She obtained her BSc in Medical Biochemistry and her PhD in Analytical sciences within the Pharmaceutical Science Research Division at Kings College London. 

Gill Livingston

Professor of Psychiatry of Older People, University College London, Division of Psychiatry

Gill is a clinical academic working with people with suspected or confirmed dementia and their families. Her interdisciplinary research uses epidemiological and biopsychosocial approaches to co-design and evaluate evidence-based interventions across the life course.

She led the Lancet Standing Commission on Dementia Prevention, Intervention and Care in 2017, 2020 and 2024, producing influential research and meta-analyses on dementia risk and prevention that have informed international policy, including WHO, UK and US guidance.

Gill’s work also focuses on improving the lives of people with dementia, their carers and care staff, particularly in underserved and minority communities. She co-developed the START intervention for family carers, which improves mental health and quality of life and has been adapted internationally. She also co-leads research to improve sleep and cognition in family carers and underserved midlife and older populations.

Katie Lunnon

Professor of Dementia Genomics, University of Exeter Medical School

Katie is Professor of Dementia Genomics at the University of Exeter Medical School, with a particular interest in dementia. Katie graduated with a BSc Honours degree in Biochemistry & Pharmacology (1st Class) from the University of Southampton in 2004. It was during this Batchelor's degree that Katie became fascinated by dementia, which naturally led on to her PhD studies in the CNS Inflammation Group at the University of Southampton under the supervision of Professor Hugh Perry. During her PhD she investigated the effect that systemic inflammation has on the brain, particularly in dementia.

In 2008 Katie started a post-doctoral research position in the Department of Old Age Psychiatry in King's College London. In this role she identified peripheral changes that occur in the blood of people with Alzheimer's disease. Subsequently in 2011 Katie moved to the Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre also within King's College London to work in the Psychiatric Epigenetics Group. Here she combined techniques she had previously acquired, with cutting-edge methylomics technology to investigate the role of DNA methylation in late-onset Alzheimer's disease aetiology. This work represented the first high-throughput, genome-wide, cross-tissue methylomic study in Alzheimer's disease.

Katie was appointed as a Lecturer at the University of Exeter Medical School, in June 2013, became a Senior Lecturer in September 2015, an Associate Professor in April 2017 and Professor in July 2019. Here the focus of her research surrounds investigating genomic mechanisms in dementia.