Kieran Breen (Head of Research & Development)

Kieran Breen joined St Andrew’s Healthcare to head up the Research team in February 2018.

He had an academic research career before moving to research funding charities - including Parkinson’s UK and Brain Tumour Research -where he implemented new strategic research funding initiatives. He serves on the review boards for a number of international research organisations and has been involved in the development and utilisation of patient data registries.

Kieran is a member of a number of working groups at the European Medicines Agency and was recently appointed as a Visiting Fellow in Secure Mental Health at the University of Loughborough where he co-supervises a number of PhD students. At St Andrew's, he has developed an innovative research strategy focussing on improved patient outcomes and key research areas have included patient inequalities, technology-based therapies, physical exercise, sleep and personalised medicine. He has also led the evaluation of the East Midlands CAMHS Provider Collaborative.

With more than 75 peer-reviewed publications in the area of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Kieran brings over 30 years of research knowledge to St Andrew’s Healthcare.

Louise Millard (Senior Project Manager)

Louise has been working in health research support management, in the higher education sector, since 2013.

Previous roles include working as a television production assistant at the BBC for 15 years, and supporting a county construction training group.

Excited by the prospect of being involved with the translation of research into real outcomes for patients within a healthcare setting, Louise joined St Andrew’s Healthcare from The Open University’s Faculty of Health & Social Care in August 2017.

Dr Inga Stewart (Consultant Clinical Psychologist | Head of Progressive Neurological Conditions Research Programme | Champion Lead)

Dr Inga Stewart is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist with substantive roles within co-production strategy and research at St Andrew's. She also serves as Co-chair of the St Andrew's DAWN network, which aims to support colleagues with visible and non-visible/hidden differences or disabilities in the workplace.  For over two decades, Inga has worked in a person-centred way with people presenting with behaviour that challenges or offence related risk within the context of neurological impairment, including Dementia and Huntington’s disease.

Inga has published in the areas of co-production, quality of life, emerging technology interventions (including virtual reality), operant learning, overt aggression, inappropriate sexual behaviour and sexuality, risk assessment, measuring behavioural outcomes, and confronting coercive psychiatric treatments. 

Esther Gathii (Senior Research Assistant)

Esther completed an MSc Forensic Psychology and previously worked in both clinical and education settings. Esther joined St Andrew's in September 2022; initially working a split role as a Research Assistant and an Assistant Psychologist in a low secure setting.  Following this, she transitioned to a full-time research role and worked on projects across several divisions within the Charity. Esther is currently a Senior Research Assistant working within Huntington's Disease (HD) research.

Fiona Stone (Research Assistant)

Fiona graduated with a 2:1 degree in Psychology at the University of Lincoln, where she had previously completed a research internship. Following this, Fiona completed an MSc in Psychiatric Research at King's College London. She joined St Andrew's in November 2024 as a Research Assistant working within Huntington's Disease (HD) research.

Lucy Lee (Research Administrator)

Lucy has worked within administration for the majority of her career, however her journey has been a varied one.

She started out as a Physical Education and English Teacher and then became a Police Constable in the Hertfordshire Constabulary where she had a number of roles, including being a Constable in Rickmansworth, Watford and Hemel Hempstead, working in the Divisional Control Room, Area Crime Unit and Community Safety Unit (Domestic Violence).

After moving to Northamptonshire, Lucy worked as a School Administrator at All Saints Primary School in Kingsthorpe, Northampton for 8 years and then joined St Andrew’s Healthcare as the Research Administrator in April 2016.