Mr Oliver Kelsey

Profile

I am a PhD student and part-time research assistant at the centre for Psychiatry and Mental Health. I started my PhD in October 2025, this research is focused on severe mental illness (SMI) and dementia, specifically I am interested in the interaction between pre-existing SMI and dementia and care for people living with a SMI who are diagnosed with dementia. This includes improving understanding as to why people living with a SMI are at an increased risk of developing dementia and how post-diagnostic care can be adapted to meet the needs of this population.

Before starting my PhD, I worked as a research assistant at Hull University on an Economic and Social Research Council funded project exploring positive episodic simulation for future thinking in depression. I have also worked as a research assistant at QMUL in the Dementia and Neurodegenerative disease policy research unit. Alongside my PhD studies I work part-time as a research assistant on the APPLE-tree study led by Professor Claudia Cooper. This study is a randomised controlled trial investigating the effects of a multidomain lifestyle intervention on dementia prevention.

Research

Research Interests:

My research interests are within dementia and severe mental illness. Specifically, I am interested in identifying inequalities in dementia risk and care for this population.

I am also interested more broadly in non-pharmacological approaches for improving cognition dementia prevention.