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- Principal Research Fellow
- Division of Psychiatry
- Faculty of Brain Sciences


Dr Sommerlad uses
multiple methodologies including observational research using longitudinal
cohorts and routinely collected electronic health records, qualitative
research, systematic review and meta-analysis to examine clinically relevant
outcomes in dementia and cognition for older people.
His main research theme
aims to untangle the relationship between social functioning and dementia
through multiple approaches:
- estimating the potential beneficial effect of social participation on cognition and dementia risk using data from established prospective cohort studies (Whitehall II and Longitudinal Aging study Amsterdam).
- improving measurement of social function in people with dementia by developing and testing the psychometric properties of the first instrument aiming to measure social functioning in people with dementia. The SF-DEM scale can be found here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/psychiatry/sfdem and we continue to collaborate with researchers translating and validating the scale in China, Japan, and Germany.
- understanding patient, carer, and disease-related factors affecting social function in people with dementia through quantitative and qualitative analysis.
Dr Sommerlad is Deputy MBBS Lead for year 1 and 2 psychiatry teaching at UCL Medical School, leading development of new curriculum teaching materials and assessments, and on engagement with the UCL medical student body in co-curricular activities. He creates and delivers lectures, small group work and examination content for UCL medical school, masters courses, and the Membership of Royal College of Psychiatrists examination course.
Dr Sommerlad supervises students on the UCL Division of Psychiatry MSc in Dementia
and MSc in Clinical Mental Health Sciences, and supervises PhD students in UCL
Division of Psychiatry.
01-OCT-2020 | Principal Research Fellow | Division of Psychiatry | University College London, United Kingdom |
2019 | Doctor of Philosophy | University College London | |
2015 | Master of Science | University College London | |
2014 | ATQ01 - Successfully completed an institutional provision in teaching in the HE sector | ||
2013 | Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists | Royal College of Psychiatrists | |
2008 | Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery | University College London | |
2006 | BSc (Hons) Open | University College London |