UCL Connect: Ageing Well

Dr Brian Beach (chair)

Senior Research Fellow in Social Policy & Gerontology at UCL

Dr Brian Beach is a Senior Research Fellow in Social Policy and Gerontology at University College London (UCL) in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, where he has been a member of the research team for the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing since July 2021. He also holds a position at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, since April 2024 in the Division of Insurance Medicine at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience.

His research examines the intersections between ageing and policy, with emphasis on the dynamics related to work, retirement, and health. His current projects involve analyses of working conditions, cognitive health and dementia, and sickness absence/disability pension (SA/DP) policy in Sweden.

Prior to UCL, Brian worked for eight years at the International Longevity Centre UK (ILC), where he conducted research on a range of topics related to population ageing. He has worked in the field of ageing since 2006, when he worked with the Office of International Affairs at AARP in Washington, DC. He has been an active member on various strategic and advisory groups with universities, businesses, the voluntary sector, and governments. He received his doctorate in 2016 from the University of Oxford, studying at the Oxford Institute of Population Ageing.

To read more about Dr Brian Beach, visit the UCL website.

Speakers

Nancy Best (UCL English BA 2014)

Founder, Ladies Who Crunch

Nancy Best is the founder of online female fitness community Ladies Who Crunch. She's been hired by some of the world’s biggest brands and blue chip companies, including Amazon and Google, to help boost employee wellbeing. Her mission is to help women use exercise as a tool for holistic health, instead of aesthetics. Nancy is regularly quoted across national and lifestyle media as a women's wellness expert.

Dr Phuong Leung (UCL Ageing and Mental Health MSc 2010; Research Degree: Division of Psychiatry PhD 2017)

Senior Research Fellow in Psychiatry at University College London (UCL)

Founder of individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) Dementia Training and Consultancy

Co-founder of the Honor Oak Wellness Rooms

Dr Phuong Leung has dedicated much of her career to empowering people with dementia, their family carers, and healthcare professionals through cognitive and psychosocial approaches. Since joining UCL’s Division of Psychiatry in 2011, she has been working in diverse research programmes focused on developing and evaluating cognitive and psychosocial interventions to empower individuals with dementia, support family carers, and enhance the expertise of healthcare professionals.

Beyond her career in dementia research, Phuong applies her expertise to leadership development, offering coaching, consulting, and training to empower professionals. Her distinctive strength lies in transferring theories and evidence-based insights into clinical practice. She has developed cognitive and psychosocial training programmes that provide healthcare professionals and carers with the knowledge and skills to deliver high-quality of dementia care while promoting healthy aging. Through her interactive online training courses, Phuong has reached national and international audiences, enhancing dementia care on a global scale

Prior to her research career, she spent over eleven years working with vulnerable adults experiencing complex health and mental health conditions. This experience has enriched her understanding of health, mental health, and social care, forming a solid foundation for her research and training/coaching programmes.

As co-founder of the Honor Oak Wellness Rooms, Phuong brings her expertise in aging well to a multidisciplinary clinic providing chiropractic care and various holistic therapies. Her work in dementia care and holistic health has empowered individuals and driven transformative improvements in healthcare delivery and well-being.

Read more Dr Phuong Leung work, please visit her website.

Dr Marcus Ranney (UCL Medicine 2008)

Founder & CEO, Human Edge

As a longevity physician dedicated to helping overwhelmed performers and CXOs, Dr Marcus Ranney has spent over two decades forging a transformative path in healthcare. His journey began with a BSc and medical degrees from UCL.

In 2010, Dr Ranney transitioned to Mumbai, becoming a strategic advisor and investor in the healthcare and life-sciences industry, contributing to major global players. The COVID-19 pandemic reignited his commitment to frontline work, including medical volunteering and founding the not-for-profit initiative, MedsForMore.

Today, Dr Ranney works at the forefront of longevity sciences, spearheading Human Edge, an investor-backed digital health venture focused on leverageing bloody and digital biomarkers to create a personalised and bio-individual longevity protocol for patients. Dr Ranney's mission is clear: to help people live healthier for longer, using science.