Tom trained in medicine and psychiatry in Edinburgh, the Highlands, and London and completed a PhD in dementia epidemiology at the University of Edinburgh. He is a Reader in Old Age Psychiatry in the Division of Psychiatry (Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences) and an honorary consultant psychiatrist in NHS Lothian. He is Director of Dementia.ED, a cross-college interdisciplinary dementia research network, and the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre (School of Philosophy, Psychology, and Language Science) at the University of Edinburgh. He is NHS Research Scotland national clinical lead for neuroprogressive and dementia research and an NIHR Senior Investigator.

• Clinically relevant dementia research
• The integration and implementation of research findings into clinical practice
• Interdisciplinary research, including research coproduced with people with lived experience of dementia 
• Science communiation and public engagement
• Life course epidemiology, including the influence of air pollution and other environmental factors on the ageing brain

All my clinical and research interests focus on dementia. I am involved in a broad range of research projects from data science (including a focus on air pollultion and brain health) to qualitative and interdisciplinary projects. I am also involved in clinical trials of new treatments and new diagnostic approaches for dementia, as well as developing new clinical pathways to integrate research with clinical practice. My role with NHS Research Scotland means I oversee all the clinical research in dementia, Parkinson disease, and other neuroprogressive conditions happening in the NHS across the whole of Scotland. I am passionate about engaging with underserved communities, including areas of higher socioeconomic deprivation and remote and rural areas (including the islands). 

PubMed Bibliography

Google Scholar profile

Division of Psychiatry https://www.ed.ac.uk/clinical-brain-sciences/division-of-psychiatry 

Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre www.alzscotdrc.ed.ac.uk

Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences www.ccbs.ed.ac.uk

Edinburgh Neuroscience www.edinburghneuroscience.ed.ac.uk

Scottish Neuroprogressive and Dementia Research Network: http://www.nrs.org.uk/ndn (formerly the Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network)

I'd encourage any students interested in dementia research to contact me about potential projects - for an SSC or otherwise. I have recently supervised projects on temporal trends in dementia rates, music and dementia, and the concept of personhood in dementia so I’d be very pleased to hear from you whatever your interest.

Looking for a PhD project in Edinburgh Neuroscience? All available projects are listed here: www.edneurophd.ed.ac.uk

About the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre

Ten years of the ASDRC — past, present, and future

Scottish Government Rethink Dementia campaign - the importance of social contact

Royal Society of Edinburgh funded videos by Partners in Research (the NRS NDN's lived experience group):

1. What's it like to be a Partner in Research?
2. Everyone's an expert
3. Guide to co-production

Dementia Researcher blogs:

1. How I got into medical research
2. Which medical specialty should treat and research dementia?

Professional memberships

Fully registered, on the specialist register (old age psychiatry) with a license to practice, General Medical Council (6097438)

Fellow, Royal College of Psychiatrists

Associate Member, Institute of Group Analysis

Senior Associate Member, APPCIOS (Association for Psychodynamic Counselling and Practice in Organisational Settings)

Trainee member, British Psychoanalytic Council

Member, APP (Association for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in the Public Sector)

Member, Human Development Scotland

Member, British Medical Association

Fellow, Royal Society of Medicine