Current Role

I am the Janet Owens Parkinson's UK Senior Research Fellow leading the Defining delirium and its impact in Parkinson’s Disease (DELIRIUM-PD) study at the Translation and Clinical Research Institute at Newcastle University.

Previous Roles

• Research Associate on the "Incidence of Cognitive Impairment in Cohorts with Longitudinal Evaluation in Parkinson's Disease (ICICLE-PD)" study.
• Chief Investigator of the "Identifying delirium in people with Parkinson’s disease (DETERMINE-PD)" study.
• Co-investigator on the "Structural Retinal Changes: A biomarker for dementia in Parkinson’s disease?" study.
• Research Assistant on the "Prospective Study of Mood States in Parkinson’s Disease (PROMS-PD)" study .
  

Other roles

Educational Lead for the Mental Health, Dementia and Neurodegeneration Theme in the Faculty of Medical Science.

Member of the Parkinson's UK College of Experts grant review panel

Steering group member of the Parkinson's Incidence Cohort Collaboration (PICC)

Member of the Critial Path for Parkinson's (CPP) consortium

Member of Dementia Platforms UK (DPUK)

Areas of expertise

• Parkinson’s disease
• Dementia
• Neuropsychology
• Delirium
• Quality of life
• Neuropsychiatric symptoms
  

Qualifications

• PhD, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, 2016
• MSc, Health Psychology, University of Nottingham, 2008
• BSc, Joint Honours Mathematics and Psychology, 2007
  

Memberships

• British Psychological Society (BPS) Chartered Psychologist
• International and Parkinson Movement Disorders Society (MDS)
• European Delirium Association (EDA)
• Dementias and Neurodegenerative Diseases (DemaNDs) Research Group
• British Geriatrics Society
  

Google Scholar

SCOPUS

Brain and Movement (BAM) Research Group

I am the Janet Owens Parkinson's UK Senior Research Fellow. I am currently part of the Brain and Movement (BAM) Research Group led by Professor Lynn Rochester at the Translation and Clinical Research Institute at Newcastle University.

My background is in psychology and my research focus has been in patients with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy body dementias over the last ten years. I have a particular interest in the neuropsychology of Parkinson's disease and delirium. I have an interest in mathematics and statistics, and have an interest in advanced statistics to analyse complex, longitudinal data. I am passionate in research that will ultimately improve the care and quality of life of people with Parkinson’s disease. 

Current and previous studies

• Defining delirium and its impact in Parkinson’s Disease (DELIRIUM-PD), Chief Investigator.
• Identifying delirium in people with Parkinson’s disease (DETERMINE-PD), Chief Investigator.
• Incidence of Cognitive Impairment in Cohorts with Longitudinal Evaluation in Parkinson’s Disease (ICICLE-PD), Research Associate. PI: Professor David Burn.
• Structural Retinal Changes: A biomarker for dementia in Parkinson’s disease? Co-investigator. PI: Professor David Burn.
• Prospective Study of Mood States in Parkinson’s Disease (PROMS-PD), Research Assistant. PI Professor Ricahrd Brown, local PI Professor David Burn.

Teaching and supervision

Educational Lead for the Mental Health, Dementia and Neurodegeneration Theme in the Faculty of Medical Science.

MRes Supervisor for Neuroscience and Medical Science, Newcastle University.

MSc Medical Sciences Project Supervisor, Faculty of Medical Science Newcastle University.

BSc Biomedical Sciences Dissertation Project Supervisor, Faculty of Medical Science, Newcastle University.

MRCPsych Senior Academic Supervisor, Health Education North East, Newcastle University. One current Old Age Psychiatry Higher Trainee.

Undergraduate Summer School Supervisor. Three previous students.

Undergraduate teaching and essay supervisors for PSY1001: Psychological Enquiry, BSc Psychology, Newcastle University.

Guest lecturer: “An Introduction to Qualitative Methods”, Critical Appraisal Module, The Northern Deanery MRCPsych course. Module leader: Dr Sumeet Gupta.

• Lawson RA, Richardson SJ, Yarnall AJ, Burn DJ, Allan LM. Identifying delirium in Parkinson’s disease: a pilot study. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2020, 35(5), 547-552.
• Dlay JK, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Williams-Gray CH, Breen DP, Barker RA, Burn DJ, Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ. Progression of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms over Time in an Incident Parkinson’s Disease Cohort (ICICLE-PD). Brain Sciences 2020, 10(2), 78.
• Martin-Ruiz C, Williams-Gray CH, Yarnall AJ, Boucher JJ, Lawson RA, Wijeyekoon RS, Barker RA, Kolenda C, Parker C, Burn DJ, Von Zglinicki T, Saretzki G. Senescence and inflammatory markers for predicting clinical progression in Parkinson's disease-the ICICLE-PD study. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2020, 10(1), 193-206.
• Lawson RA, McDonald C, Burn DJ. Defining delirium in idiopathic Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 2019, 64, 29-39.
• Ahamadi M, Conrado DJ, Macha S, Sinha V, Stone J, Burton J, Nicholas T, Gallagher J, Dexter D, Bani M, Boroojerdi B, Smit H, Weidemann J, Chen C, Yang M, Maciuca R, Lawson R, Burn D, Marek K, Venuto C, Stafford B, Akalu M, Stephenson D, Romero K. Development of a disease progression model for leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 in Parkinson's disease to inform clinical trial designs. Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics 2019, epub ahead of print.
• King E, OBrien J, Donaghy P, WilliamsGray CH, Lawson RA, Morris CM, Barnett N, Olsen K, MartinRuiz C, Burn DJ, Yarnall AJ, Taylor JP, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Thomas A. Inflammation in Mild Cognitive Impairment due to Parkinson’s disease, Lewy Body disease and Alzheimer’s disease. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2019, 34(8), 1244-1250.
• Durcan R, Wiblin L, Lawson RA, Khoo TK, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Brooks DJ, Pavese N, Burn DJ. Prevalence and duration of non‐motor symptoms in prodromal Parkinson's disease. European Journal of Neurology 2019, 26(7), 979-985.
• Stuart S, Lawson RA, Yarnall YA, Nell J, Alcock L, Duncan DW, Khoo TK, Barker RA, Rochester L, Burn DJ. Pro‐Saccades Predict Cognitive Decline in Parkinson's Disease: ICICLE‐PD . Movement Disorders 2019, 34(11), 1690-1698.
• Sleeman I, Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Johnston F, Khoo TK, Burn DJ. Urate and homocysteine: predicting motor and cognitive changes in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2019, 9(2), 351-359.
• Clegg BJ, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Barker RA, Burn DJ, Yarnall AJ, Lawson RA. Categorising visual hallucinations in early Parkinson's disease. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2018, 8(3), 447-453.
• Lawson RA, Collerton D, Taylor JP, Burn DJ, Brittain KR. Coping with cognitive impairment and Parkinson’s disease: perspectives from patients and carers. Parkinson's Disease 2018, 1362053.
• Minett T, Su L, Mak E, Williams G, Firbank M, Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Owen AM, Khoo TK, Brooks DJ, Rowe JB, Barker RA, Burn D, O'Brien JT. Longitudinal diffusion tensor imaging changes in early Parkinson’s disease: ICICLE-PD study. Journal of Neurology 2018, 265(7), 1528-1539.
• Gravell R, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Burn DJ, Sayer AA, Barker RA, Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ. Multimorbidity predicts quality of life but not motor severity in early Parkinson's disease. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2018, 8(4), 511-515.
• Dissanayaka NNW, Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Breen DP, Khoo TK, Barker RA, Burn DJ. Anxiety is associated with cognitive impairment in newly-diagnosed Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 2017, 36, 63–68.
• Firbank MJ, Yarnall AJ, Lawson RA, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Petrides GS, O'Brien JT, Barker RA, Maxwell RJ, Brooks DJ, Burn DJ. Cerebral glucose metabolism and cognition in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease: ICICLE-PD study. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 2017, 88(4), 310-316.
• Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Johnston F, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Collerton D, Taylor JP, Burn DJ, on behalf of the ICICLE-PD study group. Cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease: impact on quality of life carers. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 2017, 32(12), 1362-1370.
• Morris R, Lord S, Lawson RA, Coleman S, Galna B, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Yarnall AJ, Burn DJ, Rochester L. Gait Rather Than Cognition Predicts Decline in Specific Cognitive Domains in Early Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Gerontology: Series A 2017, 72(12), 1656-1662.
• Peraza LR, Nesbitt D, Lawson RA, Duncan GW, Yarnall AJ, Khoo TK, Kaiser M, Firbank MJ, O'Brien JT, Barker RA, Brooks DJ, Burn DJ, Taylor JP. Intra- and inter-network functional alterations in Parkinson's disease with mild cognitive impairment. Human Brain Mapping 2017, 38(3), 1702-1715.
• Mak E, Su L, Williams GB, Firbank MJ, Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Mollenhauer B, Owen AM, Khoo TK, Brooks DJ, Rowe JB, Barker RA, Burn DJ, O'Brien JT. Longitudinal whole-brain atrophy and ventricular enlargement in nondemented Parkinson's disease. Neurobiology of Aging 2017, 55, 78-90.
• O'Dowd S, Galna B, Morris R, Lawson RA, McDonald C, Yarnall AJ, Burn DJ, Rochester L, Anderson KN. Poor Sleep Quality and Progression of Gait Impairment in an Incident Parkinson’s Disease Cohort. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2017, 7(3), 465-470.
• Stuart S, Alcock L, Nell J, Lawson RA, Morris R, Yarnall AJ, Burn D, Rochester L. Pro-saccades predict decline in attention over 18 months in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease. In: 21st International Congress of Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders. 2017, Vancouver, BC, Canada: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
• Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Breen DP, Khoo TK, Williams-Gray CH, Barker RA, Burn DJ. Stability of mild cognitive impairment in newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 2017, 88, 648-652.
• Sleeman I, Aspray T, Lawson RA, Coleman S, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Schoenmakers I, Barker R, Rochester R, Burn DJ, Yarnall AJ. The Role of Vitamin D in Disease Progression in Early Parkinson’s Disease. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2017, 7(4), 669-675.
• Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Breen DP, Williams-Gray CH, Barker RA, Collerton D, Taylor JP, Burn DJ. Cognitive decline and quality of life in incident Parkinson’s disease: the role of attention. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders 2016, 27, 47-53.
• Peraza LR, Lawson RA, Firbank JM, Yarnall A, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Brooks D, O'Brien JT, Barker RA, Burn D, Taylor JP. Principal component discriminant analysis of mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson’s disease reveals early functional changes in the resting state. In: Neuroinformatics 2016 INCF Conference. 2016, Reading, UK: Frontiers Media S.A.
• Williams-Gray CH, Wijeyekoon R, Yarnall AJ, Lawson RA, Breen DP, Evans JR, Cummings GA, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Burn DJ, Barker RA, on behalf of the ICICLE-PD study group. Serum immune markers and disease progression in an incident Parkinson's disease cohort (ICICLE-PD). Movement Disorders 2016, 31(7), 995-1003.
• McDonald C, Lawson RA, Duncan GW, O'Dowd ST, Khoo TK, Yarnall AJ, Burn DJ. The Frequency and Progression of Genitourinary and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Parkinson’s disease and Healthy Controls Over 36 months Follow-up in the ICICLE-PD Study. In: Parkinson’s UK Research Conference. 2016, Leeds.
• Yarnall AJ, Lawson RA, Duncan GW, Breen DP, Khoo TK, Brooks D, Barker RA, Taylor JP, Burn DJ. Anticholinergic Load: Is there a Cognitive Cost in Early Parkinson's Disease?. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2015, 5(4), 743-743.
• Mak E, Su L, Williams GB, Firbank MJ, Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Owen AM, Khoo TK, Brooks DJ, Rowe JB, Barker RA, Burn DJ, O'Brien JT. Baseline and longitudinal grey matter changes in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease: ICICLE-PD study. Brain 2015, 138, 2974-2986.
• Mak E, Su L, Williams G, Lawson R, Yarnall A, Gordon D, Adrian O, Tien K, Brooks D, Rowe J, Barker R, Burn D, O'Brien J. Baseline and longitudinal grey matter changes in newly diagnosed Parkinson's disease: ICICLE-PD study. In: 17th IPA International. 2015, Berlin, Germany: Cambridge University Press.
• Nesbitt D, Peraza LR, Lawson R, Yarnall A, Firbank M, Taylor J-P, Burn D. fMRI resting state connectivity in Parkinson's with mild cognitive impairment. In: Parkinson's UK Research Conference. 2014, York, UK.
• Gray R, Ives N, Rick C, Patel S, Gray A, Jenkinson C, McIntosh E, Wheatley K, Williams A, Clarke CE, Sandercock P, Baigent C, Crome P, Williams A, Abbott R, Baker M, Castleton B, Clarke CE, Counsell C, Deb AK, Fairweather S, Fitzpatrick R, Gray A, Ives N, Jenkinson C, MacPhee G, Malone T, Mant D, McIntosh E, Ming A, Morrish P, Ohri P, Pearce V, Wood B, Worth P, Au P, Boodell T, Cheed V, Clarke CE, Daniels J, Dowling F, Edmondson A, Gray R, Hawker R, Herd C, Hilken N, Ives N, Kaur S, Ottridge R, Patel S, Peto L, Rick C, Sidile C, Tomlinson C, Tyler E, Wheatley K, Winkles N, Gray A, McIntosh E, Kent S, Fitzpatrick R, Jenkinson C, Caie L, Caslake R, Coleman R, Counsell C, Crowley P, Gerrie L, Gordon J, Harris C, Leslie V, Macleod MA, Taylor K, Barker R, Forsyth D, Halls M, Lennox G, Young J, Azie E, Barrett J, Monaghan A, Turnbull C, Vanek H, Blake D, Manford M, Thangarajah N, Johnson M, Wallis P, Carr P, Cochrane L, Prescott R, Rose A, Drover M, Karunaratne P, McLaren A, Jones E, Nasar M, Bayliss M, Jones AP, Lewis B, Dunn A, Eckley M, Price J, Woodman G, Forsyth D, Halls M, Young J, Aldridge G, Bhuvanendran N, Lewis S, Mann C, Patel K, Ghaus N, Grueger A, Mallinson B, Wihl G, Ballantyne S, Clarke CE, Coyle S, Hornabrook R, Hutchinson S, Irfan H, Lewthwaite A, Nicholl D, Poxon S, Ritch A, Davison J, Dodds S, Gray C, Nath U, Robinson G, Deb A, Aftab N, Read D, Villanueva L, Alderton L, Carr P, Cochrane L, Prescott R, Rose A, Burrows E, Fletcher P, Folkes E, Gilbert A, Hayes H, Morrow P, Silva M, Baxter G, Bell J, Gorman J, Lawrence J, Rhind G, Hindle J, Jones J, Ohri P, Parry M, Roberts E, Subashchandran R, Pycock C, Aspden L, Partington-Jones L, Raw J, Vanek H, Wadhwa U, Barber R, Haywood B, Heywood P, Lewis H, O'Sullivan K, Prout K, Whelan L, Whone A, Fletcher P, Folkes E, Fuller G, Medcalf P, Morrish P, Silva M, Aruldoss P, Farmery J, Liveley K, Shelbourn K, Sood V, Bouifraden K, Dalziel J, Evans C, Matheson P, Overstall P, Wales E, Ward G, Ponsford J, Graham IA, Grimmer SFM, Lockington TJ, Sheehan LJ, Williams H, Fuller J, Harrison P, Roche M, Shields S, Glasspool R, Hubbard I, Walters R, Barraclough C, McClung A, Moseley L, Pathirana CK, Abbott R, Critchley P, Wray LG, Kendall B, Lawden M, Lo N, Martey J, Rajabally Y, Simpson B, Abbott R, Critchley P, Kendall B, Lawden M, Martey J, Rajabally Y, Hindle J, Ohri P, Gale A, Phiri D, Sekaran L, Sharma A, Wijayasiri S, Fleary H, Monaghan A, Silverdale M, Vanek H, Walker D, McGee M, Senthil V, Reynolds S, Arnould D, Chong S, Diem D, Kundu B, Quinn N, Benamer H, Billings J, Corston R, D'Costa D, Green M, Shuri J, Cassidy T, Dodds S, Gani A, Lawson R, Noble J, Chan Y, Clipsham K, Cochius J, Dick D, Hipperson M, Lee M, Payne B, Reading F, Roche M, Sabanathan K, Shields S, Worth P, Harper G, Honan W, Oxborough L, Saunders J, Stanley J, McCann P, Edmonds P, Hand A, O'Hanlon S, Robinson L, Walker R, Bolam D, Liddle B, Ballantyne SL, Byravan R, Jones P, Guptha S, Noble C, Roychowdhury S, Ellis C, Harries -Jones R, Hillier C, Milligan N, Potter J, Ebenezer L, Raha S, Thompson S, Benamer H, Crouch R, Healy K, Hornabrook R, Johnson M, Nicholl D, Pall H, Praamstra P, Williams A, Beaumont D, Ell S, McGourty J, Jenkinson M, McHenry M, Scoble N, Vahid R, Findley L, Misbahuddin A, Adcock J, Chatterjee A, Collins H, Fairweather S, Flossman E, Greenhall R, Hart H, Shaw J, Singh S, Talbot K, Thompson S, Weir A, Gray D, Sood V, Sutherland S, Wilson M, Hughes T, Jones A, Morgan L, Sastry B, Abdel-Hafiz A, Al-Modaris F, Dutta S, Mallik T, Mondal B, Roberts J, Sinha S, Amar K, Atkins S, Devadason G, Martin A, Thompson C, Fenwick G, Gormley K, Gutowski N, Harris S, Harrower T, Hemsley A, Honan W, James M, Jeffreys O, Malone T, Pearce V, Sheridan R, Soper C, Sword J, Zeman A, Gordon C, McElwaine T, Pressly V, Chan D, Saha R, Howcroft D, Mugweni K, Robertson D, Stephens A, Whelan E, Wright A, Blane N, Burns S, Mutch W, Roberts R, Chikna E, Chamberlain J, Lee J, Marigold J, Adams J, Dulay J, Evans S, 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Long-term effectiveness of dopamine agonists and monoamine oxidase B inhibitors compared with levodopa as initial treatment for Parkinson's disease (PD MED): A large, open-label, pragmatic randomised trial. The Lancet 2014, 384(9949), 1196-1205.
• Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Breen DP, Barker RA, Collerton D, Taylor JP, Burn DJ. Quality of Life and Mild Cognitive Impairment in Early Parkinson's Disease: Does Subtype Matter?. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2014, 4(3), 331-336.
• Lawson RA, Yarnall AJ, Duncan GW, Khoo TK, Breen DP, Barker RA, Collerton D, Taylor JP, Burn DJ. Severity of mild cognitive impairment in early Parkinson's disease contributes to poorer quality of life. Parkinsonism & Related Disorders 2014, 20(10), 1071-1075.
• Lawson RA, Millar D, Brown RG, Burn DJ. Guided Self-Help for the Management of Worry in Parkinson's Disease: A Pilot Study. Journal of Parkinson's Disease 2013, 3(1), 61-68.