Newcastle University

Background

I am an epidemiologist and have training in psychology and mathematical statistics. I am part of the Ageing, Health and Society Research Group at the Institute of Health and Society.

I am pleased to consider applications from prospective Masters and PhD students.

Qualifications

2001-2004       Doctorate of Philosophy [Science], Sydney University, Australia
2000                  Honours in Psychology, Sydney University, Australia (Class I)
1997-1999       BA [Majors: Psychology and Mathematical Statistics], Sydney University, Australia

Career History

2012-                 Lecturer Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, UK         
2011-2012        Senior Research Associate (Risk Prediction), Cambridge University, UK
2008-2010        European Research into Ageing Future Leaders of Ageing Research (FLARE) Fellow
2009-2010        Research Mobility INSERM U708, Hôpital La Salpêtrière, France
2006-2008        Post Doctoral Research Associate, Cambridge University, UK
2004-2006        Research Analyst The Brain Resource Company, Head Office, Sydney, Australia
2002-2004        Demonstrator/Lecturer (Schools of Psychology & Mathematics/Statistics; Sydney University

Affiliations

2011-2012       Research Associate, Clare College, Cambridge University
2008-Present   Cambridge Neuroscience Network (http://www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk/)
2006-2010       Post-doctoral Research Associate, Trinity Hall College, Cambridge University
1998-Present   Golden Key National Honour Society, Sydney University, Australia

Research Interests

My research focuses on issues related to risk prediction of neurodegenerative diseases. I am working with several large epidemiological studies including: (i) The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (CFAS, UK); (ii) The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer study (EPIC-Norfolk, UK); (iii) The 3 City Study (France) and, (iv) The InCHIANTI study (Italy). The aim is to integrate risk factor research across multiple disciplines (e.g., genetics, metabolic, nutrition, cardiovascular, cognition and lifestyle) to identify not only those individuals at risk of cognitive decline and dementia, but to determine how different risk and protective factors interact to promote health in older age. I am also the lead investigator for the EPIC-Norfolk Neuroimaging Pilot Study.

Funding/Awards

2012-2016 Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences PhD studentship (Stephan & Robinson; £59,875)

2012 CFAS II Intervention Platform (Brayne & Stephan; MRC £28,000)

2012 Newcastle University, Institute of Health and Society, Strategic Development Award (£6,550)

2012 Guarantors of Brain [International Stroke Conference] (£800)

2011 Alzheimer’s Research UK Travel Grant [ICAD 2011] (£1,000)

2009-2010 Alzheimer’s Research UK Pilot Grant (£28,232)

2008-2010 European Research into Ageing Future Leaders of Ageing Fellowship (£250,167)

2007 Travel Fellowship, Department of Medical Education, Mount Sinai Medical Centre, USA

2001-2004 Australian Postgraduate Award

2002-2004 Sydney University, School of Psychology Departmental Research Grant (Travel)

2003 Sydney University, School of Psychology Departmental Research Grant (Research)

Projects

1. An Integrated Investigation of Vascular Cognitive Impairment in Population Based Studies Across Europe (Co PI: Dr Blossom Stephan)
2. Development of a System to Grade White Matter Integrity to Differentiate Normal Ageing, Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia Using Diffusion Tensor Imaging in the Population (PI: Professor Carol Brayne)
   

Lectures

1. Healthcare Organisation and Practice (BMS3015)
Lecture The Public Health Impact of Ageing

2. Medicine in the Community (MiC)
Lecture Understanding risk as numbers
Lecture Beyond numbers: conceptualizing risk in today's society

Student Supervision

MRes
MBBS Personal Tutor

• Stephan BCM, Minett T, Pagett E, Siervo M, Brayne C, McKeith IG. Diagnosing Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in clinical trials: a systematic review. BMJ Open 2013, 3(2), e001909.
• Perales J, Cosco TD, Stephan BC, Haro JM, Brayne C. Health-related quality-of-life instruments for Alzheimer's disease and mixed dementia. International Psychogeriatrics 2013, (epub ahead of print).
• van der Linde RM, Stephan BCM, Dening T, Brayne C. Instruments to measure behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia: changing use over time. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2013, 28(4), 433-435.
• Davis D, Gregson J, Willeit P, Stephan B, Al-Shahi Salman R, Brayne C. Patent foramen ovale, ischemic stroke and migraine: systematic review and stratified meta-analysis of association studies. Neuroepidemiology 2013, 40(1), 56-67.
• van der Linde RM, Stephan BC, Matthews FE, Brayne C, Savva GM. The presence of behavioural and psychological symptoms and progression to dementia in the cognitively impaired older population. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2013, (epub ahead of print).
• Siervo M, Montagnese C, Muscariello E, Evans E, Stephan BCM, Nasti G, Papa A, Iannetti E, Colantuoni A. Weight loss expectations and body dissatisfaction in young women attempting to lose weight. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 2013. In Press.
• Siervo M, Stephan BC, Nasti G, Colantuoni A. Ageing, adiposity indexes and low muscle mass in a clinical sample of overweight and obese women. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice 2012, 6(1), e63-e70.
• Stephan BC, Matthews FE, Ma B, Muniz G, Hunter S, Davis D, McKeith IG, Foster G, Ince PG, Brayne C. Alzheimer and Vascular Neuropathological Changes Associated with Different Cognitive States in a Non-Demented Sample. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 2012, 29(2), 309-318.
• Siervo M, Ruggiero D, Sorice R, Nutile T, Aversano M, Iafusco M, Vetrano F, Wells JC, Stephan BC, Ciullo M. Body mass index is directly associated with biomarkers of angiogenesis and inflammation in children and adolescents. Nutrition 2012, 28(3), 262-266.
• Siervo M, Nasti G, Stephan BC, Papa A, Muscariello E, Wells JC, Prado CM, Colantuoni A. Effects of intentional weight loss on physical and cognitive function in middle-aged and older obese participants: a pilot study. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 2012, 31(2), 79-86.
• Stephan BC, Matthews FE, Hunter S, Savva GM, Bond J, McKeith IG, Ince P, Brayne C, Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Neuropathological Profile of Mild Cognitive Impairment from a Population Perspective. Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders 2012, 26(3), 205-212.
• Sosa AL, Albanese E, Stephan BC, Dewey M, Acosta D, Ferri CP, Guerra M, Huang Y, Jacob KS, Jiménez-Velázquez IZ, LlibreRodriguez JJ, Salas A, Williams J, Acosta I, González-Viruet M, GuerraHernandez MA, Shuran L, Prince MJ, Stewart R. Prevalence, distribution, and impact of mild cognitive impairment in latin america, china, and India: a 10/66 population-based study. PLoS Medicine 2012, 9(2), e1001170.
• Dent TH, Wright CF, Stephan BC, Brayne C, Janssens AC. Risk prediction models: a framework for assessment. Public Health Genomics 2012, 15(2), 98-105.
• Prado CM, Wells JC, Smith SR, Stephan BC, Siervo M. Sarcopenic obesity: A Critical appraisal of the current evidence. Clinical Nutrition 2012, 31(5), 583-601.
• van der Linde RM, Stephan BC, Savva GM, Dening T, Brayne C. Systematic reviews on behavioural and psychological symptoms in the older or demented population. Alzheimer's Research & Therapy 2012, 4(4), 28.
• Leng Y, Wainwright NW, Hayat S, Stephan BC, Matthews FE, Luben R, Surtees PG, Khaw KT, Brayne C. The association between social stress and global cognitive function in a population-based study: the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC)-Norfolk study. Psychological Medicine 2012, 43(3), 655-666.
• Richardson K, Stephan BC, Ince PG, Brayne C, Matthews FE, Esiri MM. The Neuropathology of Vascular Disease in the Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study (MRC CFAS). Current Alzheimer Research 2012, 9(6), 687-696.
• Siervo M, Tomatis V, Stephan BCM, Bluck LJC. Vegf is indirectly associated with no production and acutely increases in response to hyperglycaemia. In: 26th Annual Conference of HEART-UK. 2012, Newcastle upon Tyne: Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
• Siervo M, Wells JC, Stephan BC. Workplace environment and risk of hypertension: is obesity on the causal pathway?. Journal of Hypertension 2012, 30(6), 1106-1107.
• Brayne C, Stephan BC, Matthews FE. A European perspective on population studies of dementia. Alzheimer's & Dementia 2011, 7(1), 3-9.
• Muniz-Terrera G, Matthews FE, Stephan B, Brayne C, CC75C Collaboration Group. Are terminal decline and its potential indicators detectable in population studies of the oldest old?. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2011, 26(5), 584-592.
• Siervo M, Stephan BC, Colantuoni A, Wells JC. First-borns have a higher metabolic rate and carry a higher metabolic risk in young women attending a weight loss clinic. Eating and Weight Disorders 2011, 16(3), e171-176.
• Matthews FE, Stephan BC, Khaw KT, Hayat S, Luben R, Bhaniani A, Moore S, Brayne C. Full-scale scores of the Mini Mental State Examination can be generated from an abbreviated version. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 2011, 64(9), 1005-1013.
• Siervo M, Arnold R, Wells JC, Tagliabue A, Colantuoni A, Albanese E, Brayne C, Stephan BC. Intentional weight loss in overweight and obese individuals and cognitive function: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews 2011, 12(11), 968-983.
• Siervo M, Stephan B. Is endothelial-independent vascular reactivity compromised in obese subjects with metabolic syndrome?. American Journal of Physiology: Endocrinology and Metabolism 2011, 301(1), E242-243.
• Siervo M, Stephan BC, Feelisch M, Bluck LJ. Measurement of in vivo nitric oxide synthesis in humans using stable isotopic methods: a systematic review. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 2011, 51(4), 795-804.
• Stephan BC, Brayne C, Savva GM, Matthews FE, The Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Occurrence of medical co-morbidity in mild cognitive impairment: implications for generalisation of MCI research. Age and Ageing 2011, 40(4), 501-507.
• Siervo M, Wells JC, Brayne C, Stephan BC. Reemphasizing the role of fructose intake as a risk factor for dementia. Journals of Gerontology. Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences 2011, 66A(5), 534-536.
• Stephan BC, Hunter S, Harris D, Llewellyn DJ, Siervo M, Matthews FE, Brayne C. The neuropathological profile of mild cognitive impairment (MCI): a systematic review. Molecular Psychiatry 2011, e-publication ahead of print.
• Siervo M, Ruggiero D, Sorice R, Nutile T, Aversano M, Stephan BC, Ciullo M. Angiogenesis and biomarkers of cardiovascular risk in adults with metabolic syndrome. Journal of Internal Medicine 2010, 268(4), 338-347.
• van der Linde R, Stephan BC, Matthews FE, Brayne C, Savva GM, Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Behavioural and psychological symptoms in the older population without dementia - relationship with socio-demographics, health and cognition. BMC Geriatrics 2010, 10(1), 87.
• Stephan BC, Kurth T, Matthews FE, Brayne C, Dufouil C. Dementia risk prediction in the population: are screening models accurate?. Nature Reviews Neurology 2010, 6(6), 318-326.
• Stephan BC, Siervo M. Does the improvement in insulin sensitivity mediate the beneficial effects of weight loss on cognitive function?. Hypertension 2010, 56(3), e30.
• Savva GM, Stephan BC, Alzheimer's Society Vascular Dementia Systematic Review Group. Epidemiological studies of the effect of stroke on incident dementia: a systematic review. Stroke 2010, 41(1), e41-e46.
• Siervo M, Horta BL, Stephan BC, Victora CG, Wells JC. First-borns carry a higher metabolic risk in early adulthood: evidence from a prospective cohort study. PLoS One 2010, 5(11), e13907.
• Stephan BC, Wells JC, Brayne C, Albanese E, Siervo M. Increased fructose intake as a risk factor for dementia. Journals of Gerontology. Series A: Biological Sciences & Medical Sciences 2010, 65(8), 809-814.
• Stephan BCM, Savva GM, Brayne C, Bond J, McKeith IG, Matthews FE, Med Res Council Cognitive Function. Optimizing Mild Cognitive Impairment for Discriminating Dementia Risk in the General Older Population. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2010, 18(8), 662-673.
• Stephan BC, Matthews FE, Khaw KT, Dufouil C, Brayne C. Beyond mild cognitive impairment: vascular cognitive impairment, no dementia (VCIND). Alzheimer's Research & Therapy 2009, 1(1), 4.
• Stephan BC, Brayne C. Dementia: Assessing the risk of dementia in the aging population. Nature Reviews Neurology 2009, 5(8), 417-418.
• Stephan BC, Caine D. Aberrant pattern of scanning in prosopagnosia reflects impaired face processing. Brain and Cognition 2008, 69(2), 262-268.
• Stephan BC, Brayne C, McKeith IG, Bond J, Matthews FE, Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Mild cognitive impairment in the older population: Who is missed and does it matter?. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2008, 23(8), 863-871.
• Matthews FE, Stephan BC, McKeith IG, Bond J, Brayne C, Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Two-year progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia: to what extent do different definitions agree?. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2008, 56(8), 1424-1433.
• Stephan BC, Brayne C. Vascular factors and prevention of dementia. International Review of Psychiatry 2008, 20(4), 344-356.
• Stephan BC, Matthews FE, McKeith IG, Bond J, Brayne C, Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Aging Study. Early cognitive change in the general population: how do different definitions work?. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 2007, 55(10), 1534-1540.
• Matthews FE, Stephan BC, Bond J, McKeith I, Brayne C, Medical Research Council Cognitive Function and Ageing Study. Operationalization of mild cognitive impairment: a graphical approach. PLoS Medicine 2007, 4(10), 1615-1619.
• Stephan BC, Caine D. What is in a view? The role of featural information in the recognition of unfamiliar faces across viewpoint transformation. Perception 2007, 36(2), 189-198.
• Alexander DM, Arns MW, Paul RH, Rowe DL, Cooper N, Esser AH, Fallahpour K, Stephan BC, Heesen E, Breteler R, Williams LM, Gordon E. EEG markers for cognitive decline in elderly subjects with subjective memory complaints. . Journal of Integrative Neuroscience 2006, 5(1), 49-74.
• Kemp AH, Hopkinson PJ, Stephan BC, Clark CR, Gordon E, Bryant RA, Williams LM. Predicting severity of non-clinical depression: preliminary findings using an integrated approach. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience 2006, 5(1), 89-110.
• Stephan BC, Breen N, Caine D. The recognition of emotional expression in prosopagnosia: decoding whole and part faces. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 2006, 12(6), 884-895.
• Kemp AH, Stephan BC, Hopkinson P, Sumich AL, Paul RH, Clark CR, Gordon E, Bryant RA, Williams LM. Toward an integrated profile of depression: evidence from the brain resource international database. Journal of Integrative Neuroscience 2005, 4(1), 95-106.