Dr Emer MacSweeney
Consultant NeuroradiologistHer previous posts include Director of Neuroradiology at Atkinson Morley’s Hospital, St George’s Healthcare Trust and Managing Director at MedTel UK. Dr MacSweeney has a special interest in neuroradiology of cognitive impairment disorders with considerable experience in imaging of neurovascular diseases and traumatic brain injury.
Education
Dr MacSweeney trained in neuroradiology at The Hospital of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen’s Square, specialising in interventional vascular neuroradiology, and spent time on a scholarship at Harvard University.
Dr Gianetta Rands
Consultant PsychiatristShe retired from the NHS in 2015 after 34 years, mostly as a consultant psychiatrist specialising in cognitive impairments due to dementias and delirium, mental capacity assessments and management, and the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric illnesses presenting in older people.
Throughout her career she has had major roles in postgraduate training, as Membership examiner, and on several Committees of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. These continue as she develops her private practice and medic-olegal work. She is approved as s12 assessor for the Mental Health Act and medical assessor for the Mental Capacity Act.
Education
Throughout her career she has had major roles in postgraduate training, as Membership examiner, and on several Committees of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. These continue as she develops her private practice and medicolegal work.
Dr Steven Allder
Consultant NeurologistDr Allder has also established the first emotion-focused service for medically unexplained neurological symptoms. Alongside this clinical work, Dr Allder is embarking on a research project looking at the long term impact of autonomic responses provoked by acute traumatic injuries; specifically, how certain autonomic responses to acute trauma set up changes in underlying brain networks that create and maintain long term neurological and pain syndromes.
Dr Allder worked most recently within the NHS for Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. He previously worked at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust from 2004 – 2015, where he held a series of clinical leadership positions, including Assistant Medical Director, in addition to his clinical workload.
Education
He trained in Nottingham in general medicine and carried out his specialist neurology training at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Dr Allder’s main interests are the management of acute neurological emergencies, in particular cerebrovascular disease and traumatic brain injury. Dr Allder ran a general neurology outpatient practice during his NHS work and had specific sub-specialist interest in neuro-otology (assessment of dizzy patients), neurological pain syndromes and medically unexplained symptoms.
Dr Julius Bourke
Consultant NeuropsychiatristDr Julius Bourke is a consultant neuropsychiatrist and has a special interest in the assessment and management of neuropsychiatric disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, brain injury and concussion, depression, anxiety (including PTSD and OCD) and stress-related conditions. He is an expert in the diagnosis and management of functional somatic and neurological disorders such as chronic fatigue and chronic pain syndromes, which lie at the interface between general medicine, surgery and psychiatry. He is frequently instructed in the provision of expert medicolegal opinion on psychiatric disorders, head injury and post-concussion syndromes. Dr Bourke is Clinical Senior Lecturer in neurophysiology and clinical psychiatry at Queen Mary University London. His specialist research interests are in the neurophysiology of chronic pain, the somatic syndromes and stress-related disorders.
He has given numerous talks and presentations on both a national and an international basis. Dr Bourke has been widely published on an array of field-related topics. He has co-authored a text book on psychiatry and has contributed chapters to numerous others, including for a world leading textbook on internal medicine and others on chronic pain, fatigue and neuropsychiatric disorders.
Education
Dr Sarah Griffiths
Consultant NeuropsychologistShe is currently the Lead Consultant Neuropsychologist for the Memory Assessment Service, Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, where she directs the specialist assessment of, and post-diagnostic intervention programmes for, dementia sufferers. During 8 years working as a Senior Neuropsychologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neuropsychology, Queens Square she gained extensive experience in diagnostic neuropsychology assessments and rehabilitation with a wide range of patients with neurological impairment, including those with dementia, stroke, epilepsy, traumatic brain injury and brain tumours.
During that time, she was also the Lead Psychologist for the Neuro-oncology Service. She has expertise in carrying out assessments of capacity and fitness to work following neurological injury.
Education
She completed her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at the Institute of Psychiatry, and achieved a distinction in her post-graduate diploma in Neuropsychology from the University of Glasgow.
Dr Wojtek Rakowicz
Consultant NeurologistDr Rakowicz has been preparing medicolegal reports covering all aspects of neurology since 2005. Early on he worked on personal injury claims and also developed a specialist portfolio of neurological problems arising from pharmacy dispensing errors, particularly in Parkinson’s disease.
In the last 4 years he has been developed a wide portfolio covering epilepsy and cognitive dysfunction following head injury, stroke prevention (TIAs), and neuromuscular disorders – diseases of the diseases of the spinal cord (including nerve roots and cauda equina), motor neurones, peripheral nerves and muscles.
Education
MB BS, BSc, PhD, FRCP
Dr John Janssen
Consultant NeurologistHe has set up a specialist emergency TIA service and been closely involved with the introduction and provision of stroke thrombolysis in West London in conjunction with the North West London Stroke and Cardiac Network.
Dr Janssen was appointed service director for neurology and stroke in 2016 at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital and leads an expanding and busy department of 15 consultants. He is a keen teacher of medical students and a GMC recognized trainer.
Dr Janssen specialist interests include headache, migraine, stroke, TIA, dementia, memory, Parkinson’s, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, and general neurology.
Education
Dr John Casimir Janssen qualified from Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School (one of the founding medical schools of Imperial College School of Medicine) and subsequently trained as a neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Royal Free Hospital.
He was a Research Fellow in the Dementia Research Group and was awarded his MD from The Institute of Neurology, University of London. As a senior registrar he was a Visiting Fellow to the Alzheimer Research Centre at The Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.
Dr Karren Towgood
Consultant NeuropsychologistDr Towgood has worked for over a decade in the field of neuropsychology within both the private and public sector in the UK and internationally. She has specialist experience in neuropsychological assessment with adults and older adults, including patients who present with stroke, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, HIV and other neurological conditions.
She also has extensive expertise working within a neuro-rehabilitation setting where she has developed expertise in conducting capacity assessments, applied behavioural management and working therapeutically with clients and their carers who present with a range of cognitive and emotional difficulties.
Dr Towgood has been involved in conducting medico-legal assessments since 2013.
Education
Dr Towgood was awarded her BPsych (1st Class Honours) from Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia before completing her PhD and Clini-cal Psychology Training at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She is an experienced researcher having completed post-doctoral posts with world leading experts at the ICN, University College London, and the IOP, Kings College London. Dr Towgood’s research interests include individual case study approaches to profiling neuropsychological conditions and assessment of memory using fMRI in neurological conditions. She has presented her work at a number of international conferences and in journal articles and has received awards for her research contributions.
Dr Dimitrios Paschos
Consultant Psychiatrist in Intellectual DisabilitiesHe served on the board of medical and scientific charities and is currently President of the Hellenic Medical Society of the UK. He regularly teaches Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities to medical students at University College London. He is currently research collaborating investigator in a study of the genetics of learning disability and a clinical trial of a novel psychotropic medication.
Since 2008 he worked as Consultant Psychiatrist for the following organisations: South London & Maudsley NHS FT, The Cambian Group and Camden and Islington NHS FT. Dr Paschos currently works for the NHS part-time where he focuses on the mental health of adults with learning and developmental disabilities. He has a special interest in ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders and the mental health of people with Learning Disability. He leads the Blue Sky Adult ADHD Clinic.
Education
Dr Dimitrios Paschos completed his basic medical training in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He graduated in 1998 and started his specialist training as a psychiatrist in England in 1999. He trained at the South London and Maudsley. He gained experience in General Psychiatry, Old Age Psychiatry, Rehabilitation, Liaison Psychiatry, Substance Misuse, Learning Disabilities and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. During his training he worked at Lewisham, Lambeth, Maudsley, Royal Bethlem and Guy’s Hospitals.
Dr Paschos continued his higher specialist training (SpR) in South London and Maudsley and completed his specialisation in the Psychiatry of Learning Disabilities. This included training at the National Adult ADHD Centre at the Maudsley Hospital. He holds certificate of completion of specialist training (CCT) and is on the GMC specialist register.
Dr Maite Ferrin
Consultant Child & Adolescent PsychiatristDr Ferrin has been providing tailored medical treatments and non-pharmacological approaches including CBT and psychoeducation to these patients and their families.
Dr Ferrin has published more than 40 international peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in the field of child psychiatry. She is part of the steering committee of the Continuum ADHD Project, an expert-led pan-European educational initiative in the ADHD field. Dr Ferrin is also one of the few UK members of the Eunethydis Group (European Network for Hyperkinetic Disorders) and the European ADHD Guidelines Group (EAGG), independent international leading groups with special clinical and research interest in the ADHD/ADD field
Education
Dr Ferrin graduated from University of Navarre (Spain) in 2001 and subsequently completed her training in General Psychiatry in Pamplona, Spain, and then undertook specialist fellowship training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Imperial College in London. In 2005-2006 Dr Ferrin completed her MSc training in Child and Adolescent Mental Health at the Institute of Psychiatry, King´s College London. In 2010 she completed her European PhD in Neurosciences at the University of Granada/King´s College London, and she was qualified with the prestigious Cum Laude (equivalent to Distinction grade). During these years Dr Ferrin continued working as CAMHS Consultant Psychiatry, specialising in diagnosis and treatment of ADHD/ASD and comorbid conditions throughout the lifespan.
Dr Ferrin is Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the Brain and Behaviour Laboratory, at the University of Southampton
Dr Claudia Wald
Consultant PsychiatristDr Wald established the Westminster Memory Service in 2009 and the Kensington & Chelsea Memory Service in 2011 which have both repeatedly been nationally accredited with excellence by the Royal College of Psychiatrists and which were awarded The Royal College’s Older Adult Team of the Year in 2015.
She has extensive experience in the diagnosis and management of cognitive disorders and the psychiatric and behavioural symptoms which commonly accompany these conditions. In addition, Dr Wald has extensive experience in the diagnosis, treatment and management of functional mental illnesses such as mood disorders and psychosis as well as capacity assessments.
Education
Dr Wald gained dual accreditation in adult and older adult psychiatry from the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1998 and has been a Consultant Psychiatrist for Older Adults in Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust since 2003.
Dr Richard Perry
Consultant NeurologistHe has been running memory clinics at Charing Cross Hospital in London since 2005 and specialises in early diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Education
Dr Perry completed his medical degree at the medical college of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1990. His specialist experience in memory disorders and dementia was gained in Cambridge from 1995 to 1999 and in San Francisco from 1999 to 2000.
Deborah Colson
Cognitive Nutritional TherapistNutritional Therapy is an evidence-based therapy, which is complementary to medicine and other therapies and involves managing nutritional and biochemical factors which impact health. Deborah provides detailed assessment of nutritional status that can contribute to psychiatric and neurological symptoms including cognitive decline, ADHD and autistic spectrum disorders, mood disorders including depression, anxiety and bipolar, and psychotic disorders including schizophrenia. She develops a practical, personalised plan for each individual which takes into account their unique lifestyle and dietary preferences, and their current nutritional status and genetic predisposition.
Deborah is a full member of the British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT) and is registered with the CNHC (Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council).
Education
Deborah completed her initial training at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in London (DipION) in 2002 and completed an MSc in Nutritional Therapy at the University of Westminster in 2014. She lectures regularly to a variety of audiences including corporates, medical and other health professionals, students and the general public. She is co-author of The Alzheimer’s Prevention Plan, Optimum Nutrition for Your Child and Optimum Nutrition for your Child’s Mind.
Dr Alberto Cifelli
Consultant NeurologistDr Alberto Cifelli is a Consultant Neurologist at Queen’s Hospital in Romford and King George Hospital in Ilford.
Education
He gained his doctorate in Clinical Neurology at the University of Oxford, undertaking research on multiple sclerosis.
Dr Cifelli carried out his specialist neurology training at the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham and previously was a Neurology Consultant at King’s College Hospital and Darent Valley Hospital.
Lisa Harris
Speech and Language TherapistLisa provides detailed assessment of cognitive and communication disorders that can result from a stroke, head injury (TBI), Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, brain tumours, Alzheimers disease and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).Once an assessment is completed Lisa will work closely with a client looking not only at developing a suitable treatment plan, but how to support and enable the client and their family to communicate effectively and manage any cognitive difficulties such as memory or processing problems.
Lisa also provides a paediatric service alongside her neurological work which specialises in Language Processing Disorders (difficulty understanding and using language successfully). Lisa uses both the traditional paediatric forms of treatment and those developed from her cognitive, neuroscience background to develop strategies to enable children with language and cognitive difficulties to process and understand information more successfully
Education
Since graduating from City University in 1995 she has held several specialist posts in London NHS hospitals (St George’s Hospital; Atkinson Morley’s Hospital, London; Harrowlands and The Wolfson Medical Rehabilitation Centre) and has been head of department for two neurological rehabilitation units (Unsted Park Neurological Rehabilitation centre and The Brain Injury Centre, The Queen Elizabeth Foundation, Banstead.) She has also been a post graduate clinical tutor at The City University, London.
Dr Amod Dalvi
Consultant PsychiatristHis international experience in Drug trials includes the the SCAB 2009 Lamotrigine Mania Study in India. He has worked as an expert medical member on the Charing Cross Research & Ethics Committee. Dr Dalvi also works for the Clinical Equivalence committee at the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Education
Dr Dalvi trained at the Charing Cross basic and higher specialist Psychiatric scheme and obtained his MRCPsych in 2003. Following this he worked as a Specialist Registrar in Old Age, General Adult and Liaison Psychiatry at the Chelsea& Westminster Hospital. Dr Dalvi worked as an Academic SpR & Honorary Research Fellow with Professor Barnes and Professor Joyce in Imperial College School of Medicine on the West London First Episode study. He obtained his CCT in General Adult& Old Age Psychiatry with a Liaison sub speciality in October 2007 following which he worked as a Consultant within the Central and North West London Foundation Trust.
Dr Paul Butler
Consultant NeuroradiologistDr Butler first became a consultant neuroradiologist in January 1986. He has been director of imaging at King Edward VII Hospital, a private hospital in London, since 2004.
Education
Dr Paul Butler graduated from Westminster in 1976.
Dr Andre Strydom
Consultant Psychiatrist in Intellectual DisabilitiesHis particular interest is in research on how to diagnose and manage the memory problems some people experience as they get older and the mechanisms that underlie associations between genetic conditions such as Down Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease, and which could help us to identify new treatments.
Education
Dr Strydom, who also mentors young researchers in UCL’s Division of Psychiatry, is involved in developing and trialling complex interventions in adults with ID, such as CBT for anxiety and depression, positive behaviour support for problem behaviours, and health checks for people with intellectual disabilities in primary care.
Dr Emma Reynolds
Consultant NeuropsychologistShe provides clinical supervision and training for a team of clinical neuropsychologists. She has extensive experience in carrying out neuropsychological assessment of patients with acquired brain injury and neurological conditions. This includes but is not limited to traumatic brain injury, stroke, brain tumour, neuro-degenerative disorder and epilepsy.
Dr Reynolds is experienced in carrying out medico legal work and receives instructions from claimants (75%) and defendants (25%). She has completed the Cardiff University Law School Bond Solon Civil Expert Certificate (CUBS) and is a member of the Expert Witness Institute.
Education
She completed her training at University College London and Royal Holloway, University of London. She then undertook further specialist training in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Glasgow and was awarded a Distinction. Following this, she obtained the Qualification in Clinical Neuropsychology, which is viewed as the gold standard qualification for clinical neuropsychology within the UK. She was then offered a place on the Specialist Register in Clinical Neuropsychology, regulated by the British Psychological Society.
Dr Stephen Pearson
Consultant PsychiatristHe describes these research trials as bringing hope to people with dementia, and offer an opportunity for patients and volunteers to get involved in research. He also offers a My Memory Service at the research centre for assessments of patients concerned about early memory problems.
Dr Pearson also works in NHS services in a memory clinic, and in local community services. He is the lead for the South West Peninsula Huntington’s Disease Clinic and offers advice and support to professionals and patients.
Education
Dr Christopher Symeon
Consultant NeuropsychiatristHe has experience in the assessment and treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions including: functional neurological disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, brain injury, as well as general psychiatric disorders. Dr Symeon is part of Re:Cognition Health’s team of Medico-Legal experts.
Education
He undertook his medical training in Bart’s and The London medical school before going on to his specialist psychiatric training at the South London & Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust. In addition, he has completed a masters in neuroscience at Kings College London.
Dr Alakendu Sekhar
Consultant NeurologistDr Sekhar is employed as Consultant Neurologist with Walton Centre NHS Foundation trust Liverpool for last 7 years. He is also visiting stroke neurologist at Aintree University NHS Foundation Trust and Countess of Chester NHS Foundation Trust. His day to day work mainly involves direct clinical care for all aspects of general neurology including stroke & epilepsy. He is the trust clinical lead for stroke thrombectomy service. His pioneering work was setting up the stroke thrombectomy service at Walton Centre which now serves the whole of the Cheshire & Merseyside.
He is the deputy lead for hyper acute stroke research centre (HSRC) at Cheshire & Merseyside which is NIHR funded. His research interest is in acute stroke treatments including thrombolysis and thrombectomy.
He serves on the stroke advisory group at association of British Neurology (ABN).
He is the regional advisor for Royal College of Physician Edinburgh and involved in promoting education and fellowship of the College.
He is the honorary senior lecturer for Liverpool Medical school and involved in medical student teaching.
Private & Medicolegal work
He is empanelled as medicolegal expert with Re-cognition Health 77 Wimpole Street, London and takes instruction for both clinical negligence and brain injury cases.
He is available to see medicolegal client on prior arrangements at London Clinics.
Dr Sekhar has privileges and rights at Spire Liverpool and Murrayfield hospitals for private clinical and medicolegal consultations.
He is on Medicolegal practice for last 5 years and has taken instructions from several law firms in the Country mainly on behalf of the claimant. His medicolegal interests are mainly around stroke and all aspect of vascular neurological injuries and he is now expanding on brain injury cases.
Education
Dr Sekhar has completed his specialist training in Neurology & stroke in 2012 in Southwest of England. He has dual accreditation for Neurology & Stroke and is on general medical council specialist register.
He had extensive training in all aspect of neurology & stroke and is well published in the field.
He is the peer reviewer for several medical journals and was reviewer of the year for Elsevier publishing last year.
Dr Philip Paul Nichols
Consultant NeurologistIn 2002 Dr Philip Paul Nichols was appointed as a Department of Health Clinician Scientist a post which ran concurrently with his appointment as Honorary Consultant Neurologist and Senior Lecturer in Neurology at the Department of Neurology, Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle Upon Tyne & Institute of Cellular Medicine, The Medical School, Newcastle University, until 2013. During this appointment Dr Nichols ran a general neurology outpatient and inpatient pr actice as well as pursuing a sub-specialist interest in brain white matter disease, in particular, multiple sclerosis. He was appointed a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (FRCP) in 2010.
Dr Nichols is currently working at Re:Cognition Health, using his clinical expertise to focus on the assessment of patients with traumatic brain injury.
Education
Dr Nichols is a Consultant Neurologist. He qualified with first class honours from Newcastle University Medical School (1991) and trained in general medicine in London (MRCP 1994) before completing an MRC Clinical Research Fellowship at Oxford University (DPhil, St John’s 2001). He completed his specialist neurology training at the Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford and on the Northern Deanery neurology rotation (Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust) gaining specialist registration in 2002.
Dr Valerie Suarez
Consultant PsychologistChartered Counselling Psychologist (CPsychol, BSc (Hons), DPsych)
Dr Suarez is a chartered counselling psychologist registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC).
She has over seventeen years’ experience working across a range of NHS settings with adults presenting with a wide variety of difficulties (e.g. chronic illness, depression, anxiety and relationship difficulties). Her clinical experience and her doctoral training exposed her to a broad spectrum of therapeutic approaches, skills and tools. This enables her to tailor her interventions to best fit her clients’ individual concerns and needs.
Dr Suarez is a warm and skilled practitioner whose strength and passion lie in building a strong therapeutic alliance with her clients, helping them feel safe enough to explore, identify and work with their difficulties.
Her special interest is in third-wave cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); namely mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavioural therapy (DBT), Compassion Focussed therapy (CFT) and schema therapy.
She is committed to continuous professional development (CPD) and has recently passed a random CPD audit by the HCPC
Education
Dr Suarez was awarded a 1st class BSc(Hons) in Psychology and Counselling and a Practitioner Doctorate (PsychD) in Psychotherapeutic & Counselling Psychology from the University of Surrey.
Dr Arianna Marconi
Consultant Child & Adolescent PsychiatristDr Marconi is a Consultant Psychiatrist specialised in Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
She worked both in inpatient and outpatient services including psychiatric intensive care and has extensive experience in assessment and treatment of patients in their developmental age suffering from different conditions. Areas of her expertise include emotional and behavioural disorders, anxiety disorders, affective disorders, attachment disorders, psychosis, and ADHD.
Education
Dr Marconi completed her medical training with distinction in Italy, at “La Sapienza” University of Rome .
During her 5-year post-graduate program, she was awarded with an honorary placement where she completed a mixed research/clinical attachment at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College of London. In this context, she was involved in several European Research projects which culminated in a number of publications on peer-reviewed journals.
Dr Leo Russell
Clinical PsychologistDr Leo Russell is an HPCP registered Clinical Psychologist specialising in medically unexplained symptoms. He has developed treatment programmes and services for people with functional neurological disorders (FND) and is an accredited therapist, supervisor and teacher of Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy. His work examines the relationship between the mind and body through exploring the role of life experience in the context of the neuroscience of emotion. He has published research on clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and service development in the treatment of FND. He is a founding member of the FND Society and a former Vice-Chair of ISTDP-UK.