Speakers
Afternoon Session
Alzheimer’s disease affects more than 55 million people worldwide, with numbers expected to rise significantly in the coming decades - placing increasing urgency on the need for earlier and more accurate diagnosis.
This talk will explore the latest data on innovative blood-based biomarkers, including p-tau217 and p-tau181, and their emerging role in improving diagnostic accuracy in Alzheimer’s disease. It will also provide an overview of the NeuroToolKit (NTK), a collaboration between academic and industry partners designed to generate high-quality, reproducible, and comparable biomarker data.
Together, these advances highlight the growing potential of blood-based biomarkers to support earlier diagnosis and more informed clinical decision-making, with the aim of improving outcomes for patients, families, and healthcare systems.
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