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Researchers
Ms Chengyi Ding
| Background: Chengyi is a postdoctoral researcher. Previously, Chengyi completed an MPH at Peking University. She joined the Whitehall II team in 2017 to pursue a PhD on the longitudinal alcohol use and prognosis in cardiovascular disease patients. Current area of research: Chengyi’s research interests include understanding how determinants of health over the life course affect disease risk and shape ageing outcomes. Key publications:
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| Dr Severine Sabia Research Associate Email: s.sabia@ucl.ac.uk | Background: After a degree in data sciences and a PhD in epidemiology at University of Paris-Saclay, I joined UCL in 2010 as a post-doctoral fellow. I am currently senior research associate both at UCL and the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research. My longstanding research interest is on the impact of modifiable factors on health during ageing with focus on behavioural factors over the lifecourse – smoking, alcohol consumption, dietary behaviour, physical activity, and sleep. I am also interested in methods and statistical analysis such as longitudinal analyses with repeated data and missing data. Since 2012, I lead the accelerometer project in the Whitehall cohort study, including data collection, algorithm development in collaboration with Dr van Hees (accelerometer data processing with GGIR) and research activities. Current area of research: My current research is on: 1) the nature of the association between modifiable risk factors and dementia using an innovative approach that considers time between a putative risk factor and dementia onset 2) the impact of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep, assessed objectively, on health during ageing. I also take part to various projects on drivers of health at older age through supervision of post-doctoral and PhD researchers. Key Publications:
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| Mr Martin Shipley Associate Professor (Emeritus) Email: martin.shipley@ucl.ac.uk | Interests are in statistical methodology for the analysis of cohort studies. These include the analysis of repeated exposures on event outcomes and the estimation of risk factor trajectories before and after specified events. |  |
| Professor Dr Adam Tabak Clinical Research Associate Email: a.tabak@ucl.ac.uk | Background: Dr Tabák holds a medical degree and a PhD in diabetes epidemiology from Semmelweis University in Hungary. He shares his time as a research professor at Semmelweis University (Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology and Department of Public Health) and at UCL. Current area of research: His research interests include clinical aspects of diabetes mellitus including the risk factors and consequences of diabetes complications and gestational diabetes as well as the efficacy of novel diabetes medications. His research in the Whitehall study focuses on the natural history of diabetes before and after the diagnosis of diabetes using the repeated measures available in this database. He is also interested in natural history of diabetic vascular complications. Key Publications:
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Key Collaborators
| Dr Tasnime Akbaraly Senior Researcher, INSERM Honorary Staff, UCL Email: tasnime.akbaraly@inserm.fr | Tasnime is an epidemiologist with a biochemistry background. Tasnime joined the Whitehall II team in 2007. Her research focuses on the role of diet and nutrition in mental health and aging outcomes. She currently works as a permanent researcher at the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM) and is still actively carrying out nutritional epidemiology projects in the Whitehall II Study. |  |
| Professor David Batty Professor of Epidemiology Email: david.batty@ucl.ac.uk | An epidemiologist, the focus of David's research is to understand how social, psychological, biological, behavioural and genetic factors from across the life course, and between generations, influence the risk of chronic diseases of major public health importance in adulthood, such as cardiovascular disease, selected cancers, and mental health problems. The ultimate aim of this research is disease prevention. |  |
| Dr Jane Ferrie Honorary Staff Email: j.ferrie@ucl.ac.uk | Jane was employed on the Whitehall II study from 1992 until 2011 when she left to become the Academic Editor of the International Journal of Epidemiology. Having been awarded an honorary position in the department, she is still actively involved in writing papers using the Whitehall II data on topics including the labour market, inequalities in health, and sleep epidemiology. |  |
Dr Andrew Sommerlad | Background: Andrew Sommerlad is a Principal Research Fellow at UCL Division of Psychiatry funded by a Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellowship and a Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist in Camden and Islington NHS Foundation Trust. Current area of research: His research investigates the nature, causes and consequences of social functioning impairment in people with dementia, and his previous projects using the Whitehall II study data have included examining the links between mid- and late-life social participation and dementia risk. Key publications:
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