I moved to Edinburgh in 2005, where I completed my undergraduate degree (Psychology), MSc by Research and PhD at The University of Edinburgh.

Since my Masters I have been interested in how cognition changes with age, and how this coincides with changes in the brain. During my PhD, run bilaterally between the University of Edinburgh and Suor Orsola Benincasa University (Italy), I gained an appreciation for how individual factors such as education can affect how cognition changes with age. After my PhD I led a research project in Kyoto University (Japan) as a JSPS Post-doctoral Fellow, before returning to Edinburgh in 2016. Since this time I have led several data linkage studies that aim to enhance existing research data by combining it with routinely collected health records. My research focusses on how early-life circumstances can have a lasting impact on health in older age, including cognitive ability and mental health.

My interest in data-driven approaches to mental health led my involvement in the DATAMIND hub. Since 2022 I have worked as a Project Manager, focusing on the long-term sustainability of the hub. A major component of this is working with patients and the public to define acceptable ways of working with non-academic partners, helping to drive forward mental health research and drug discovery. I also continue to lead mental health research projects involving linked health data.