Professor Jane Simpson

Bio: Jane Simpson is Professor of the Psychology of Neurodegenerative Conditions at Lancaster University. With colleagues, she has recently published extensive, evidence-based guidance on the psychological therapies which might work best with individuals with Huntington’s disease, Parkinson’s, motor neurone disease and multiple sclerosis. She leads the motor neurodegenerative work within FPOP and sits on other patient and charity bodies associated with improving care for people with these conditions. She has over 120 peer-reviewed publications and holds significant funding from UK and international bodies. She is passionate about the need to improve psychological care for those with neurodegenerative conditions who need it but also to learn from those coping well.  From a research perspective she is keen to conduct more studies to assess interventions which work, given the general lack of research in this area, and to understand more about the currently fragmented and unclear pathways to mental health care in the UK experienced by individuals with these conditions.