Our Study Team

  • Dr Stuart Watson, Chief Investigator for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial — Newcastle University and Northern Centre for Mood Disorders

    Dr Stuart Watson

    CHIEF INVESTIGATOR

    Clinical Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry at Newcastle University and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at the Northern Centre for Mood Disorders within Newcastle University’s Translational and Clinical Research Institute.

  • Dr Niraj Ahuja, Co-Chief Investigator for the national ASCEnD bipolar depression trial — Consultant Psychiatrist at the Regional Affective Disorders Service, Wolfson Research Centre

    Dr Niraj Ahuja

    CO-CHIEF INVESTIGATOR

    Consultant Psychiatrist for the Regional Affective Disorders Service at the Wolfson Research Centre.

  • Lyndsey Dixon, Sponsor Representative for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial — R&D Manager and Regulatory Compliance Lead at CNTW NHS Foundation Trust

    Lyndsey Dixon

    SPONSOR REPRESENTATIVE

    R&D Manager and Regulatory Compliance Lead for Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

  • Professor David Kessler, Co‑Applicant for the national ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole‑sertraline combination to quetiapine — Professor of Primary Care at the University of Bristol

    Professor David Kessler

    CO-APPLICANT

  • Professor Glyn Lewis, Co-Applicant for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at University College London

    Professor Glyn Lewis

    CO-APPLICANT

  • Tania Gergel, Co-Applicant for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial.

    Tania Gergel

    CO-APPLICANT

Collaborators

  • Professor Hamish McAllister-Williams, Professor of Affective Disorders at the Northern Centre for Mood Disorders, Newcastle University, contributor to the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial.

    Professor Hamish McAllister Williams

    Professor of Affective Disorders at the Northern Centre for Mood Disorders at Newcastle University’s Translational and Clinical Research Institute

  • Professor Richard Morriss, Professor of Psychiatry and Community Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham, contributor to the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial.

    Professor Richard Morriss

    Professor of Psychiatry and Community Health Science University of Nottingham Medical School

  • Professor John Geddes, Director of the Oxford Health NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and contributor to the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial.

    Professor John Geddes

    Director of the Oxford Health NIHR Biomedical Research Centre

Principal Investigators

  • Dr Jonathan Evans, Principal Investigator and Co-Applicant for the ASCEnD Study at Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

    Dr Jonathan Evans

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND CO-APPLICANT

    Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust

  • Professor Steven Marwaha, Principal Investigator for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust.

    Professor Steven Marwaha

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

    Birmingham & Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust

  • Dr Joseph Hayes, Principal Investigator for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust.

    Dr Joseph Hayes

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

    Camden & Islington NHS Foundation Trust

  • Dr Richard Laugharne, Principal Investigator for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

    Dr Richard Laugharne

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

    Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust

  • Dr Niraj Ahuja, Principal Investigator for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

    Dr Niraj Ahuja

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

    Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne & Wear NHS Trust

  • Dr Neil Nixon, Principal Investigator and Co-Applicant for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust

    Dr Neil Nixon

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND CO-APPLICANT

    Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  • Professor Andrea Cipriani, Principal Investigator and Co-Applicant for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust.

    Professor Andrea Cipriani

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR AND CO-APPLICANT

    Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust

  • Professor Shanaya Rathod, Principal Investigator for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

    Professor Shanaya Rathod

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

    Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

  • Dr Sikander Gill, Principal Investigator for the national ASCEnD Study — a bipolar depression clinical trial comparing aripiprazole-sertraline combination to quetiapine — at Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust.

    Dr Sikander Gill

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

    Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust

Statistics

  • Professor Dawn Teare, Senior Trial Statistician for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial — Professor of Biostatistics at Newcastle University and Deputy Director of Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit.

    Professor Dawn Teare

    SENIOR TRIAL STATISTICIAN

    Professor of Biostatistics at Newcastle University and Deputy Director of Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit

  • Mike Cole, Trial Statistician for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial at Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit

    Mike Cole

    TRIAL STATISTICIAN

    Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit

  • Sarah Al-Ashmori, Trial Statistician for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial at Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit.

    Sarah Al-Ashmori

    TRIAL STATISTICIAN

    Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit

Health Economists

  • Professor Judit Simon, Senior Health Economist for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial — Professor and Head of Health Economics at the Medical University of Vienna

    Professor Judit Simon

    SENIOR HEALTH ECONOMIST

    Professor of Health Economics and Head of the Department of Health Economics at the Medical University of Vienna

  • Professional man with dark hair and beard, wearing a dark suit and white shirt, smiling in an indoor setting.

    Dennis Wienand

    HEALTH ECONOMIST

    Doctoral Researcher at the Department of Health Economics at the Medical University of Vienna

Patient & Public Representatives

  • Dr Thomas Kabir, Patient and Public Involvement Co-Applicant for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial.

    Dr Thomas Kabir

    PATIENT & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT CO-APPLICANT

  • John Gibson, Senior Service User Researcher at the McPin Foundation for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial.

    John Gibson

    SENIOR SERVICE USER RESEARCHER, THE MCPIN FOUNDATION

Trial Oversight

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    Professor Anthony Cleare

    TRIAL STEERING COMMITTEE CHAIR

    Professor of Psychopharmacology & Affective Disorders at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London

  • Professor Allan Young, Chair of the Data Monitoring Committee for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial — Chair of Mood Disorders at King’s College London.

    Professor Allan Young

    DATA MONITORING COMMITTEE CHAIR

    Chair of Mood Disorders in the Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London

Qualitative Study

  • Professor Carolyn Chew-Graham (OBE), Lead Researcher for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial — Professor of General Practice Research at Keele University

    Professor Carolyn Chew Graham (OBE)

    LEAD RESEARCHER

    Professor of General Practice Research, Keele University

  • Isobel Hoppe, Researcher for the ASCEnD bipolar depression trial at the School of Medicine, Keele University.

    Isobel Hoppe

    RESEARCHER

    School of Medicine, Keele University

Newcastle Clinical Trials Unit

  • Dr Faye Wolstenhulme, Senior Trial Manager for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial.

    Dr Faye Wolstenhulme

    SENIOR TRIAL MANAGER

  • Ayesha Mathias, Trial Manager for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial.

    Ayesha Mathias

    TRIAL MANAGER

  • Emma Clark, Trial Manager for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial.

    Dr Emma Clark

    TRIAL MANAGER

  • Christopher Weetman, Database Manager for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial

    Christopher Weetman

    DATABASE MANAGER

Newcastle Central Research Team

  • Lumbini Azim, Research Project Coordinator for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial.

    Lumbini Azim

    Research Project Coordinator

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    Lauren Wall

    Central Research Assistant

  • Harry Hackett, central Research Assistant for the ASCEnD bipolar depression clinical trial, based at CNTW NHS Foundation Trust in Newcastle Upon Tyne

    Harry Hackett

    Central Research Assistant